Gruinard Bay is a large remote coastal embayment, located 12 miles north of Poolewe, in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, and is in the former parish of Lochbroom, in the west coast of Scotland.
Gruinard Bay has a number of settlements, mainly located on the eastern shore of the bay. On the southeast corner, the small hamlet of Little Gruinard is located, where the similar named river leaves land. On the south coast, the small townships of Sand, First Coast and Second Coast are situated along the A832 road. On the western coast, the former fishing village of Laide, in the nook where the coast turns north, overlooks Gruinard Island to the northeast. Further up the west coast, the villages of Achgarve, the main village of Mellon Udrigle and the smaller crofting township of Opinan have a commanding view of the bay and Gruinard island.
Gruinard Bay is formed from the boundary of Loch Broom to the northeast, encompasses the opening of Little Loch Broom to the east with Static Point further south, and on the west side by the Rubha Mòr peninsula, and Loch Ewe on the southwestern boundary. The bay measures 5.5 miles along its western shore, and 4.5 miles on its eastern shore, forming a L shape. [1]
The bay overlooks the infamous Gruinard Island, which is 0.68 miles (1 km) offshore, at the eastern side of the bay. The Summer Isles are visible to the northeast. [2]
Three fast flowing rivers flow into the Bay. Little Gruinard river, occasionally called River Little Gruinard, flows 4 miles from the Fionn Loch to enter Bay at the settlement of Little Gruinard, and Camas Gaineamhaich beach. River Gruinard river, flows a similar distance from the two lochs, the larger to the east, Loch Sealga and the smaller Loch Ghiubhsachain to the west, into the bay at the western side of Camas Gaineamhaich beach. The smaller stream of Inverianvie river, flows from the small loch, Loch à Mhadaidh Mòr and enters the bay between the two other rivers. [1] [2]
Cromartyshire is a historic county in the Highlands of Scotland, comprising the medieval "old shire" around the county town of Cromarty and 22 enclaves and exclaves transferred from Ross-shire in the late 17th century. The largest part, six times the size of the old shire, is Coigach, northwest from Ullapool. In 1890, Cromartyshire was merged with Ross-shire into the administrative county of Ross and Cromarty. In 1975, the resulting county was combined with Caithness, Inverness-shire, Nairnshire, Sutherland, and parts of Argyllshire and Morayshire to form the Highland council area.
Ross and Cromarty, sometimes referred to as Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use, the latter of which is 8,019 square kilometres in extent. Historically there has also been a constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, a local government county, a district of the Highland local government region and a management area of the Highland Council. The local government county is now divided between two local government areas: the Highland area and Na h-Eileanan Siar. Ross and Cromarty border Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south.
Ross is a region of Scotland. One of the provinces of Scotland from the 9th century, it gave its name to a later earldom and to the counties of Ross-shire and, later, Ross and Cromarty. The name Ross allegedly derives from a Gaelic word meaning "headland", perhaps a reference to the Black Isle. Another possible origin is the West Norse word for Orkney – Hrossey – meaning horse island; the area once belonged to the Norwegian earldom of Orkney. Ross is a historical comital region, perhaps predating the Mormaerdom of Ross. It is also a region used by the Church, with the Presbytery of Ross being part of the Synod of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness.
The Dundonnell and Fisherfield Forest covers a large mountainous area of Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, lying between Loch Maree and Little Loch Broom. It is sometimes nicknamed The Great Wilderness, as the area is entirely devoid of permanent settlements.
Wiay, pronounced "waya" is an uninhabited island in Loch Bracadale, off the coast of the Isle of Skye
The Isle of Ewe is a small Scottish island on the west coast of Ross and Cromarty. The island is inhabited by a single family, the Grants, who have lived at the Main House in the south of the island since the mid-19th century.
Ross-shire is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting of numerous enclaves or exclaves scattered throughout Ross-shire's territory. Ross-shire includes most of Ross along with Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Dingwall is the traditional county town. The area of Ross-shire is based on that of the historic province of Ross, but with the exclusion of the many enclaves that form Cromartyshire.
Loch Broom is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, on the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch.
The A832 is a road in the Scottish Highlands, linking Cromarty, on the east coast, to Gairloch on the west coast, and beyond Gairloch to Braemore Junction. It is 126 miles (203 km) long and runs entirely in the former county of Ross and Cromarty. The road forms part of the Wester Ross Coastal Trail.
Eilean Mòr is the largest of the Crowlin Islands in the Inner Sound off the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Fiskavaig or Fiscavaig is a picturesque crofting settlement on the north-west shore of the Minginish peninsula, Isle of Skye in the Highland Council area.
Badcall comprises two remote hamlets, called Lower Badcall and Upper Badcall. Upper Badcall, a crofting township, is the larger of the two and is situated on the western shore of Badcall Bay. Lower Badcall is located less than 1 mile to the east on the eastern shore of Badcall Bay. Badcall is on the west coast of Sutherland, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
Rubha Mòr is a remote peninsula in west Scotland, in the western region of Ross and Cromarty. The peninsula stretches from Greenstone Point in the north to the villages of Poolewe on the southern coastline and Laide on the northern coastline. The region immediately to the east of the peninsula contains Inchgarve Forest and Fionn Loch, which feeds via the Little Gruinard River into Gruinard Bay to the north. Further south are the forests of Letterewe overlooking Loch Maree, and northeast of Fionn Loch are the forests of Fisherfield and Strathnasheallag overlooking Loch Na Sealga.
Loch na Keal, meaning Loch of the Kyle, or Narrows, also Loch of the Cliffs, is the principal sea loch on the western, or Atlantic coastline of the island of Mull, in the Inner Hebrides, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Loch na Keal extends over 20 kilometres (12 mi) inland, almost bisecting Mull, and extending to within 5 km (3 mi) of the eastern shore. The loch gives its name to the Loch na Keal National Scenic Area, one of forty national scenic areas in Scotland.
Enard Bay is a large remote tidal coastal embayment, located 10.5 miles northwest of Ullapool, in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, Scottish Highlands in the west coast of Scotland. The mouth of the bay is about 4.5 miles across running from the head of Rubha Mòr peninsula at Rubna Na CòiGeach point to Rubna Na Brèige to the east.
Loch Buie is a sea loch on the south coast of the Isle of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland. It takes the form of a deep bay opening onto the Firth of Lorn. At the head of the loch is the settlement of Lochbuie at the end of a minor road form the A849 at Ardura. There are a handful of small islands and rocky islets close to shore, the largest of which is Eilean Mor which is connected to the mainland of Mull at low tide. Nearby is Moy Castle. There are extensive shore platforms around the loch, notably on its southeastern side beneath Laggan Deer Forest. Numerous caves are located at the rear of this platform including Uaimh nan Taillearan. Sandy beaches lie at the head of the loch. The cliffs at either side are formed from basalt lava flows of Palaeogene age, intruded by numerous dolerite dykes. At the head of the loch, the rocks include granophyres and gabbro. Though unseen at the surface, the Great Glen Fault is usually considered to run beneath this loch and nearby Loch Spelve.
Glenborrodale Bay is a remote tidal, 200° orientated, coastal embayment, located on the southern coastline of the west to east orientated Ardnamurchan peninsula, at the head of the sea loch Loch Sunart in western Scottish Highlands of Scotland. To the west is the large Ardgour peninsula, of which the Ardnamurchan and the larger Morven peninsula to the south is part of.
Glenmore Bay is a remote, tidal, 150° orientated, coastal embayment, located on the southern coastline of the west to east orientated Ardnamurchan peninsula, at the head of the sea loch Loch Sunart.
Coordinates: 57°53′35″N5°29′31″W / 57.893°N 5.492°W