Lochinver

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Lochinver
Village
Sutherland UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Lochinver
Location within the Sutherland area
Population651 (2011) [1]
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Lairg
Postcode district IV27
Dialling code 01571
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
58°08′45″N5°16′46″W / 58.14590073°N 5.27956005°W / 58.14590073; -5.27956005

Lochinver (Loch an Inbhir in Gaelic) is a village at the head of the sea loch Loch Inver, on the coast in the Assynt district of Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. [2] A few miles north-east is Loch Assynt which is the source of the River Inver which flows into Loch Inver at the village. There are 200 or so lochans in the area, popular with anglers. Lochinver is dominated by the "sugar loaf" shape of Caisteal Liath, the summit peak of nearby Suilven.

Contents

Geography

Lochinver Lochinver.jpg
Lochinver

Lochinver, as a fishing port, is frequented by European fishermen primarily from Spain and France. The port underwent a major renewal project in the 1990s when the harbour area was rebuilt and a new and improved loading area was created. This new development involved blasting an area of several hectares out of the surrounding rock.

In 2020, Lochinver was the fourth largest whitefish (demersal) port, with over £14 million of fish and shellfish passing through the port (of which £1.6 million was landed by Scottish vessels). [3]

The village, part of Assynt, attracts local tourism, with nature areas being developed in conjunction with small-scale forestry activities. Birdlife in Lochinver includes the curlew, oystercatcher and hooded crow.

Nearby villages include Inverkirkaig, accessed by the road leading up the River Culag, and on the coastal road north: Achmelvich, Clachtoll, Clashmore, Stoer, Clashnessie, Drumbeg and Culkein Drumbeg.

The White Shore

The White Shore The White Shore.jpg
The White Shore

The White Shore is named after its gneiss and quartzite pebbles. [3] It is a one mile walk from one of two access points: one from the peir, [4] the other at the head of Loch Culag locally known as the School Loch. The stone beach is surrounded by the Culag Woods which is managed by the Culag Community Woodland Trust (CCWT).

The Culag Woods

Map of the Culag Woods The Culag Woods map.jpg
Map of the Culag Woods

Overlooking Lochinver, a 40-hectare (99 acres) woodland is a blend of forested and coastal views backed by Suilven peak. In 1847, George Cranwell, the second duke and twentieth earl of Sutherland, established the paths and planted the trees that became known as the Culag woods. Since 1995, the Culag Community Woodland Trust has overseen the wood under a fifty-year lease from Assynt Estates and Highland Council, and owns the Little Assynt Estate which it acquired in 2000. In 2003, the Trust purchased an office for administration and outreach to locals, visitors, and partner organisations. [5]

Education

Lochinver has a primary school [6] situated on the banks of Loch Culag. It serves the village of Lochinver, and the outlying areas of Achmelvich to the north, Inverkirkaig to the south and Elphin to the east. The school is housed in the old village school which has been extended over the years. For secondary age pupils, a daily bus service is provided to village of Ullapool, 34 miles south.

Religion

The Church of Scotland - Lochinver The Church of Scotland - Lochinver.jpg
The Church of Scotland - Lochinver

Lochinver has three churches, The Church of Scotland, [7] The Free Church [8] and The Free Presbyterian Church. [9] The Free Presbyterian Church no longer has services on a Sunday; local people attend at Ullapool.

In the 1890s, it was suggested that a railway be constructed from Invershin to Lochinver, to 'open up' the Highlands and provide a direct rail connection with ferries to the Western Isles. This scheme was an alternative to a proposed route to Ullapool from Garve. In the event, neither were able to obtain funding. [4]

Media

The Highlands and Islands - A Royal Tour, is a 1973 documentary about Prince Charles' visit to the Highlands and Islands, directed by Oscar Marzaroli. [10]

The 2017 film Edie about a widowed pensioner who climbs Suilven, was directed by Simon Hunter. [11]

The 2024 DS Max Craigie novel The Devil You Know, by Neil Lancaster, includes action scenes at Lochinver Police Station, with mention of the war memorial, the Lochinver Larder, and Lochinver Lifeboat Station. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutherland</span> Historic county in Scotland

Sutherland is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire to the south and the Atlantic to the north and west. Like its southern neighbour Ross-shire, Sutherland has some of the most dramatic scenery in Europe, especially on its western fringe where the mountains meet the sea. These include high sea cliffs and very old mountains composed of Precambrian and Cambrian rocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suilven</span> Mountain in Highland, Scotland, UK

Suilven is a mountain in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs and lochans known as Inverpolly National Nature Reserve. Suilven forms a steep-sided ridge some two kilometres in length. The highest point, Caisteal Liath, lies at the northwest end of this ridge. There are two other summits: Meall Meadhonach at the central point of the ridge is 723 metres (2,372 ft) high, whilst Meall Beag lies at the southeastern end.

Achmelvich is a settlement situated in the Highland region of Scotland. The name comes from the Gaelic "Achadh" - a plain or meadow and "mealbhaich" - sandy dunes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assynt</span> Sparsely populated area of Sutherland on the west coast of Scotland

Assynt is a sparsely populated area in the south-west of Sutherland, lying north of Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland. Assynt is known for its landscape and its remarkable mountains, which have led to the area, along with neighbouring Coigach, being designated as the Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland.

The Northwest Highlands are located in the northern third of Scotland that is separated from the Grampian Mountains by the Great Glen. The region comprises Wester Ross, Assynt, Sutherland and part of Caithness. The Caledonian Canal, which extends from Loch Linnhe in the south-west, via Loch Ness to the Moray Firth in the north-east splits this area from the rest of the country. The city of Inverness and the town of Fort William serve as gateways to the region from the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canisp</span> Mountain in Scotland

Canisp is a mountain in the far north west of Scotland. It is situated in the parish of Assynt, in the county of Sutherland, 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of the town of Ullapool. Canisp reaches a height of 847 metres (2,779 ft) and qualifies as a Corbett and Marilyn hill. The mountain's name translates from the Old Norse kambsnípa or point of the comb/ridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Inver</span> Sea Loch in grid reference NC

Loch Inver is a 3.62-kilometre-long sea loch in Assynt, Sutherland and is on the northwest coast of Scotland. The loch meets the coastal embayment of Enard Bay at the north end and The Minch, where it meets Soyea Island at its mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Assynt</span> A lake in Sutherland, Scotland

Loch Assynt is a freshwater loch in Sutherland, Scotland, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north-east of Lochinver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoer</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Stoer is a crofting township in the parish of Assynt, Sutherland, in the Highlands of Scotland and in the council area of Highland. It is located about five miles north of the village of Lochinver.

<i>Zip n Zoo</i> 2008 British film

Zip 'n Zoo is a 2008 film directed by Bruce Robertson and starring John Hannah, Simone Lahbib and Remy Bennett. The name of the film is derived from the sound of casting during fly-fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverkirkaig</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Inverkirkaig is extremely remote scattered crofting township, situated on the north eastern bay, of the sea loch Loch Kirkaig, in the Assynt district of Sutherland, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badnaban</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Badnaban is a remote scattered coastal village, which lies on the south shore of the sea loch, Loch Inver, in the Assynt district of the west coast of Sutherland, Scottish Highlands. and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.

Strathan is a remote scattered coastal village, located in Bàgh an t-strathain Bay, which lies on the south shore of the sea loch, Loch Inver, in the Assynt district of the west coast of Sutherland, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. Strathan is situated less than 1 mile northeast of Badnaban, 1 mile north of Inverkirkaig, and 2 miles southwest of Lochinver

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Kirkaig</span>

Loch Kirkaig is a small tidal sea loch, located in the region and parish of Assynt in south-west of Sutherland, in the west coast of Scotland and in the Scottish Highlands. Loch Kirkaig is 1.25 miles south of Loch Inver. The scattered crofting township of Inverkirkaig is located at the headland of the bay, next to the pebbly beach, on the round bay, which has no known name. The name Kirgaig comes from old Norse, Kirkju-vik meaning church bay, perhaps suggesting that in Viking times, there was a church, with a village located in the bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garve and Ullapool Railway</span> Proposed railway in North West Scotland

The Garve and Ullapool Railway was one of several branch railway-lines proposed for the North-West Highlands of Scotland, in the 1880s and 1890s. The project received approval from the Westminster Parliament by means of a Local Act of 14 August 1890. The line did not gain financial backing and was never constructed. Renewed attempts to build it were made in 1896, 1901, 1918 and 1945, again with no success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soyea Island</span> Uninhabited island near Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland

Soyea Island or Soyea is an uninhabited rocky island at the mouth of Loch Inver, in Assynt, Sutherland, in the council area of Highland, Scotland. It is three nautical miles west of Lochinver and two nautical miles south-southwest of Achmelvich. The Broad Rocks extend up to 400 yards from the eastern edge of Soyea Island. Measuring approximately 12 mile from east to west, its area is 20 hectares and it rises to an elevation of 38 metres (125 ft). Soyea marks the entrance of the fishing harbour of Lochinver. Soyea Island has a yellow pedestal light on it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Leitir Easaidh</span> Freshwater loch

Loch Leitir Easaidh is a small shallow irregular shaped freshwater lochan that flows directly into the northwestern end of Loch Assynt in Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland. The loch is located in an area along with neighbouring Coigach, as the Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Culag</span> Freshwater loch

Loch Culag also known as Loch na Doire Daraich is a small freshwater shallow loch, located south of Lochinver in the Assynt district of Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. The loch is located in an area along with neighbouring Coigach, as the Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fionn Loch (Suilven)</span> Freshwater loch

Fionn Loch is a small irregular-shaped shallow freshwater loch, on a north-west to south-east orientation that is located 3 miles southeast of Lochinver in the Assynt district of Sutherland in Scotland. The loch is located in an area known as the Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland.

References

  1. "POPULATION CHANGE IN CAITHNESS AND SUTHERLAND 2001 TO 2011". Highland Council. 11 February 2014. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  2. Gittings, Bruce; Munro, David. "Lochinver". The Gazetteer for Scotland. School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh and The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2020". Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics. Scottish Government. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  4. 1 2 McDonald Cameron (31 May 1892). "Garve and Ullapool Railway Bill: Second Reading". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . House of Commons. col. 349–351. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  5. [Culag Community Woodland Trust. Retrieved 4 April 2024
  6. Thornton, Matt. "Lochinver Primary". www.highland.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  7. Scotland, The Church of (4 July 2022). "Fascinating history of Sutherland church brought to life". The Church of Scotland. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  8. "Assynt & Eddrachillis (Lochinver)". FCC. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  9. "Ullapool and Lochinver Congregation – Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland". www.fpchurch.org.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  10. "Full record for 'HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS - A ROYAL TOUR'" Scottish Screen Archive. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  11. "EDIE Screens first in the village of Lochinver" Simon Hunter Official website. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  12. Lancaster, Neil; The Devil You Know HQ Digital, 28 March 2024, chapters 54 – 62. ISBN   0008551324

History of Lochinver