KILCREGGAN is one of Argyll and Bute’s self-employment hot-spots, according to data released by the Federation of Small Businesses.

Tarbert was top of the list with 15.44 per cent of people self-employed, followed by Kilcreggan with 13.39 per cent.

Argyll and Bute communities are some of the most entrepreneurial in Scotland with 14 out of the 15 “towns” – as they’re described in the data from the Federation of Small Businesses – being higher than the national average of 6.4 per cent.

Hisashi Kuboyama, FSB’s development manager, said: “Argyll and Bute is a small business economy and these figures on self-employment support that view. This data shows the most successful local communities have high numbers of people who are their own boss.”

One Kilcreggan-based businessman who set up his own company in the village, Nick O’Donnell, said: “My business is mainly marine engineering, which consists of mechanical repairs to customers’ boats. I have a range of both leisure and commercial customers.

“Much of my work is carried out on Loch Lomond as I am the resident engineer at Ardlui Marina.

“This work is mainly seasonal. I also carry out work in Rhu Marina both for customers and the marina itself.

“In order for the business to continue to operate out of season I supplement my marine work with a mobile hydraulic hose replacement service.”

Despite enjoying the challenges that come with running his own business, Nick said that it is a struggle occasionally as boating is an expensive hobby.

He said: “In lean times people will always cut boat expenses first if choices about household expenditure must be made. It can be stressful, since being a sole trader, I have to do the work, answer the phone, invoice for the work and try to keep the business moving forward.”

Helensburgh councillor Vivien Dance said: “These figures are interesting in what they show about income generation in our area. The fact that we have high number of entrepreneurs living in communities with a population of 1,000 or more – I find the term ‘town’ a bit hard to accept – should surprise no one.

“Living in small communities is often a lifestyle choice and there is no greater satisfaction than establishing and running your own business when other options are extremely limited.

“With the development of IT and online access for most, working from home with the flexibility that gives around family life is now feasible and is being taken up by many more. We have some great independent local businesses in our area but they need all the support they can get from national agencies.

“The FSB could best address their efforts to reducing red tape for the self-employed and making sure better connectivity and fast broadband for everyone actually becomes reality – not just meaningless, endless promises from companies and politicians alike.”

A spokesman for the FSB said: “FSB agrees that much could be done to improve connectivity in Scotland – especially in places like Argyll.

“We’re campaigning for a Universal Service Obligation (USO) to be introduced and set at 10 Mbps. We also asked the Scottish government to wire the country for the future and provide broadband speeds of 10Mbps to all businesses, regardless of location.”

Garelochhead was near the bottom of the FSB’s Scottish table, with only 2.84 per cent of people in the village self-employed, but local councillor and village resident George Freeman said the proximity of HM Naval Base Clyde meant the figure was no surprise.

He said: “I believe that the low level of self-employment that they refer to at Garelochhead is probably down to the fact that we have one of the largest employers in Scotland on our doorstep and there are many other employment opportunities within a short travel distance from Garelochhead.”

A spokeswoman for Helensburgh Chamber of Commerce said: “While the Helensburgh and Lomond area has very many enterprising and innovative self-employed people adding to the local economy, many residents are employed either at Faslane and Coulport or in Glasgow, in the local authority itself, other service industries and of course in providing staff for our local entrepreneurs. The highest instances of self-employment will be in small communities”