Lochs
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Loch Erisort | |
Location within the Outer Hebrides | |
Area | 179.06 sq mi (463.8 km2) |
Population | 1,810 (2011) |
• Density | 10/sq mi (3.9/km2) |
Language | Scottish Gaelic Gaidhlig English |
OS grid reference | NB371259 |
Civil parish |
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Council area | |
Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ISLE OF LEWIS |
Postcode district | HS2 |
Dialling code | 01851 |
Police | Scotland |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Lochs is a civil parish on the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles, Scotland. It is one of the four civil parishes in Lewis and extends over the south-eastern part. It is bordered by the parish of Stornoway in the north and Uig in the west. Loch Seaforth separates it from Harris in the south, apart from a 19 miles (31 kilometres) land border with Harris. It extends about 19 miles (31 kilometres) north to south and 16 miles (26 kilometres) east-west. The Shiant Islands, about five miles (8.0 km) to the south-east, also belong to the parish. The parish is so-named because of the profusion of lochs, sea and fresh-water, in the area. [1]
Lochs does not have a main village, but instead three clusters of townships within the three main divisions of the parish. The northern division, North Lochs, lies between the River Creed (Gaelic: Abhainn Ghrioda), which forms the border with Stornoway parish, and Loch Leurbost. Its main townships are Leurbost and Crossbost on the north side of that loch and also Grimshader and Ranish on either side of Grimshader Loch. The central division called Kinloch lies between Lochs Leurbost and Erisort and its main townships are Keose, Laxay and Balallan on the north side of Loch Erisort, and Arivruaich near the head of Loch Seaforth. The southern division, known as South Lochs or Park (Gaelic: Pairc), is a peninsula between Lochs Erisort and Seaforth. It is joined to the mainland of Lewis by an isthmus about three-quarters mile (1.2 km) wide. The main townships are Orinsay, Gravir, Habost, Caversta, Calbost, and Cromore. [2]
At the 2011 census, the population of the civil parish was 1,810. 62.0% had some knowledge of Gaelic. [3] A hundred years before, in 1911, 91.1% were Gaelic speaking (and 97.5% in 1881). [4] The area of the parish is 114,601 acres (179.1 sq mi; 463.8 km2). [5]
The parish originally belonged to the county of Ross and Cromarty. The parish council was formed in 1895 with 11 elected members. [6] This was replaced by Lewis District Council in 1930, which had 19 members, 9 of whom were the County Councillors for Lewis and 10 elected to the District Council from the four parishes. Lochs had 4 members. [7] [8] Since 1976, this has been superseded by a community council for each of three parts of the parish, namely North Lochs, Kinloch and Park. [9] [10] Also Ross and Cromarty county council was replaced by Western Isles Council (now called Comhairle nan Eilean Siar), based in Stornoway.
Lochs is also a ward of Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) Council, with 2 members. [11]
The parish was not recorded prior to the Scottish Reformation and was subsequently known as St. Columbkil or Loghur, now Lochs. The old Parish Church, serving the whole parish was erected in 1830 on an island in Keose bay, but is now in ruins. [12] [2] There are now Church of Scotland churches in each of the three parts of the civil parish: Leurbost (for North Lochs), Laxay (for Kinloch) and Lemreway (for Park). [13]
The Outer Hebrides or Western Isles, sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. The islands are geographically coextensive with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. They form part of the archipelago of the Hebrides, separated from the Scottish mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the waters of the Minch, the Little Minch, and the Sea of the Hebrides.
The Isle of Lewis or simply Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as if they were separate islands. The total area of Lewis is 683 square miles (1,770 km2).
Ross and Cromarty, also 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.
Park, also known as South Lochs, is a huge area of land connected to the rest of Lewis only by a narrow neck between Loch Seaforth and Loch Erisort. This had a wall called Gàrradh an Tighearna built across it by the Earl of Seaforth in the early 17th century, the outline of which can still be seen.
Habost is the name of two crofting townships on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Carloway is a crofting township and a district on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The district has a population of around 500. Carloway township is within the parish of Uig, and is situated on the A858.
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.
Leurbost is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is approximately 6 miles south of Stornoway on the road to Harris. It is the main settlement in the area of the island known as North Lochs. Leurbost is within the parish of Lochs.
Eilean Chaluim Chille is an unpopulated island in the Outer Hebrides.
Calbost is a village on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Calbost is within the parish of Lochs, and within the district of Pairc.
Cromore is a crofting township on the Isle of Lewis in the district of Pairc, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The settlement is within the parish of Lochs. Cromore is about 27 miles away by road from Stornoway, the nearest town.
Lewis and Harris, or Lewis with Harris, is a single Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides, divided by mountains. It is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest in the British Isles, after Great Britain and the island of Ireland, with an area of 841 square miles (2,178 km2), which is approximately 1% of the area of Great Britain. The northern two-thirds is called [the Isle of] Lewis and the southern third [the Isle of] Harris; each is referred to as if it were a separate island and there are many cultural and linguistic differences between the two.
Inverness-shire is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Covering much of the Highlands and Outer Hebrides, it is Scotland's largest county, though one of the smallest in population, with 67,733 people or 1.34% of the Scottish population.
Lochbroom is a civil parish in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, part of the Highland Unitary Authority area. Its name is Gaelic (Lochbraon), meaning "loch of rain showers". It completely surrounds Loch Broom, a sea loch extending from 7 miles (11 km) inland from the Minch on the west coast of Scotland. The former parish church stands at the head of this loch, hence the name of the parish. Lochbroom is also a Community council area, but the north-west corner of the parish is the Coigach community council area.
Torosay is a civil parish on the Isle of Mull in the county of Argyll, Scotland, part of the Argyll and Bute council area. It is one of three parishes on the island and extends over the central and south-eastern part. It is bordered by the parish of Kilninian and Kilmore in the north and Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon in the south-west. It extends about 12 miles east-west and 10 miles north-south. On the north-east coast it is separated from the mainland by the Sound of Mull. On its south-east coast, part of it is almost severed from the rest of the parish by the sea lochs Spelve and Buie, together with the freshwater loch Uisg, in between. This peninsula, which includes the hamlet of Croggan, is joined to the main island by a small isthmus at Kinlochspelvie and another at the settlement of Lochbuie. There is a smaller sea loch Loch Don, which gives its name to the hamlet of Lochdon. Further north, there is a bay at Craignure which is the location of a ferry port.
Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon is a civil parish on the Isle of Mull in the county of Argyll, Scotland, part of the Argyll and Bute council area. It is one of three parishes on the island and extends over the south-western part and includes the islands of Iona, Erraid and Inch Kenneth. It is bordered by the parish of Torosay in the north and east. It extends about 23 miles north-east to south-west and is 18 miles wide.
Kilninian and Kilmore is a civil parish on the Isle of Mull in the county of Argyll, Scotland, part of the Argyll and Bute council area. It is one of three parishes on the island and extends over the north-western part. It is bordered by the parish of Torosay in the south-east. It extends about 15 miles north-west to south-east and is 13 miles wide.
Keose is a settlement in the Kinloch community council area of the Western Isles, Scotland, in the civil parish of Lochs. It lies on the north shore of Loch Erisort. The old Parish Church, serving the parish of Lochs, was erected in 1830 on an island in Keose bay, but is now in ruins. The adjacent township of Keose Glebe was formerly the glebe of the manse of the parish church, but after 1929 it was split into crofts. Near Keose on the Swordale peninsula are ruins of what Is probably the first post-Reformation church in the parish of Lochs.
Logie Easter is a civil parish in Easter Ross in the Highland area of Scotland. It is bordered by the parishes of Edderton and Tain in the north and Fearn and Nigg in the east. The Balnagown River on the south forms the border with Kilmuir Easter. It extends about 7.5 miles from east to west.