North Kessock

North Kessock Scottish Gaelic: Ceasag a Tuath
Main Street, with the Kessock Bridge in the background
North Kessock Location within the Ross and Cromarty area
Area	0.79 km2 (0.31 sq mi)  [1]
Population	1,290 (2020) [2]
•  Density	1,633/km2 (4,230/sq mi)
OS grid reference	NH652477
Council area	Highland
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Inverness
Postcode district	IV1 3
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Scottish Parliament	Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch
List of places UK Scotland 57°30′05″N4°14′43″W / 57.5015°N 4.2453°W / 57.5015; -4.2453

North Kessock (Gaelic: Ceasag a Tuath or Aiseag Cheasaig ^[3] ) is a village on the Black Isle north of Inverness.

Description

North Kessock is the first village encountered over the Kessock Bridge. Now bypassed by the main road to the north (the A9), the village remains quiet. ^[4] Its counterpart across the Beauly Firth, South Kessock, is a district of Inverness.

History

Nearby Ord Hill has the remains of a hill fort dating back to around 550BC which was reused by the Picts around 1,000 years later.

North Kessock probably existed as early as 1437, when the Dominican monastery in Inverness was granted a charter to operate a ferry to the Black Isle. ^{[4] [5]} This was on the pilgrim route north to St Duthac Church in Tain. The ferry was discontinued in 1982 upon the opening of the Kessock Bridge.

Recycling Dispute

Recently the community has been involved in a long running dispute over the location of glass recycling bins. ^[6] The matter was settled after a community ballot organised by Highland Council where 67% of those who responded voted to site the bins in the main car park. ^[7]

At least as of 29 July 2024 the glass recycling bin was in the main car park.

Glass recycling bin in the North Kessock Carpark on 29 July 2024

Wildlife

North Kessock is a famous spot for watching bottlenose dolphins, ^[8] which are resident in the Moray Firth.

See also

• Clootie well

Footnotes

1. "North Kessock (Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
2. "Population estimates for settlements and localities in Scotland: mid-2020". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
3. Maclean, Roddy (2004). The Gaelic Place Names and Heritage of Inverness. Inverness: Culcabock Publishing. p. 79. ISBN   978-0-9548925-0-0.
4. "North Kessock". Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
5. "North Kessock and District History". North Kessock and District Local History Society. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
6. MacLennan, Chris. "Abuse, demonstrations and a divided community: Is the end in sight for a bitter dispute on the Black Isle?". Press and Journal. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
7. MacNeill, Alison. "Community Ballot - North Kessock Bottle Banks Result". www.highland.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
8. Collier, Ray (16 June 2011). "Country diary: North Kessock". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2024.