Bala

Bala (Welsh: Y Bala) is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake (Welsh: Llyn Tegid), 17 miles (27 km) north-east of Dolgellau, with a population (2001 census) of 1,980. It is little more than one wide street, Stryd Fawr (High Street, literally "Great Street"). The High Street and its shops can be quite busy in the summer months with many tourists. Bala is ranked 11th in the list of the highest percentages of Welsh language speakers in Wales. According to the (2001 census), 80.1% of Bala's population can speak Welsh fluently, with the highest percentage in the 5-9 age group, 95.7%. In the 18th century, the town was well...