Wester Ross (Scottish Gaelic: Ros an Iar) is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right,[2] but is generally regarded as lying to the west of the main watershed of Ross (the eastern part of Ross being Easter Ross), thus forming the western half of the county of Ross and Cromarty. The southwesternmost part of Ross and Cromarty, Lochalsh, is not considered part of Wester Ross by the local tourist organisation, Visit Wester Ross,[3] but is included within the definition used for the Wester Ross Biosphere Reserve.[4]
Wester Ross has one of the lowest population densities in Europe, with just 1.6 people per km2, who live mostly in small croftingtownships along the coastline of the region.[5] The area is renowned for the scenic splendour of its mountains and coastline,[6] and the range of wildlife that can be seen.[7] It is a popular tourist destination, receiving around 70,000 visitors each year.[8] Tourism forms a major part of the economic activity of the area, accounting for 35% of all employment.[8] Other major economic activities in the area include commercial fishing, renewable energy, agriculture and fish farming.[8][9][10]
Much of Wester Ross is designated as a national scenic area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure their protection from inappropriate development.[11] Scenic spots including Loch Maree, Inverewe Garden, Corrieshalloch Gorge, Glen Docherty and the Bealach na Bà. Wester Ross was designated as a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO’s "Man and the Biosphere" (MAB) Programme in April 2016.[12] The Wester Ross Biosphere Reserve now covers 5,200 square kilometres of Wester Ross and Lochalsh. This new-style biosphere, which covers an area over 100 times larger than the original designation, is a place where people live and actively learn about their surroundings to inspire a legacy rich in both natural and cultural heritage.[13]
Geology
Liathach consists of steeply-terraced Torridonian sandstone.
The geology of Wester Ross consists predominantly of Torridonian sandstone and Lewisian gneiss. The latter was formed during the Precambrian period, and is the oldest rock type found in Scotland;[14] indeed the rocks around Gruinard Bay are, at 2.5 billion years old, amongst the oldest rocks in the world.[6] The Torridonian sandstone was formed by the deposition of sediment on top of the gneiss around 750 million years ago. The linear geological feature of Moine Thrust Belt runs northeast across the area from near Kyle of Lochalsh. The area was heavily glaciated during the ice age, with all but the highest peaks being covered by glaciers, leading to the steep-sided glens and deep sea lochs that characterise the area today.[14]
Geography
Location of Wester Ross and Easter Ross within Scotland.
Wester Ross is well known for its spectacular mountain scenery, especially the Torridon Hills which includes such peaks as Beinn Eighe and Liathach.[6] Although many peaks in the Northwest highlands exhibit Torridonian geology, the Torridon Hills are generally considered only to be those in the Torridon Forest to the north of Glen Torridon: the Munros of Liathach, Beinn Eighe, and Beinn Alligin; and the Corbetts of Beinn Dearg, Baosbheinn and Beinn an Eoin.[15][16] Other notable "Torridonian" peaks in Wester Ross include An Teallach and Slioch,[6] in the Dundonnell and Fisherfield Forest in the north of the area, and the hills of the Coulin Forest between Glen Torridon and Strathcarron.[15][16] Torridonian hills exhibit some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the British Isles, surpassed in grandeur probably only by the Cuillin of Skye. The hills sit apart from each other, and are often likened to castles. They have steep terraced sides, and broken summit crests, riven into many pinnacles. There are many steep gullies running down the terraced sides. The summit ridges provide excellent scrambling, and are popular with hill walkers and mountaineers. However, like many ridge routes, there are few escape points, so once committed, the scrambler or hillwalker must complete the entire ridge before descent. Under winter conditions, many walking routes in Wester Ross become serious expeditions.[15]
In contrast to the isolated Torridonian peaks that characterise much of Wester Ross, the mountains of Kintail in the south of the area take the form of peaks linked by ridges that rise steeply from narrow glens and the sea.[17]
Despite being located at a latitude of between 57.2° and 58.0° North Wester Ross experiences a relatively mild maritime climate (KöppenCfb) due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The tables below provide data for three locations within the area: Aultbea, located on the coast near Poolewe; Kinlochewe, located in a more inland position at the head of Loch Maree; and the summit of the Bealach na Bà, located 600m above sea level in a coastal location.
There are traces of Mesolithic occupation at several sites in Wester Ross, including at Redpoint and Shieldaig. Excavations of a Mesolithic rock shelter and shell midden at Sand on the Applecross peninsula revealed a variety of tools made from bone, stone and antler, together with waste from tool manufacture and food processing.[25] The Mesolithic people were largely nomadic, and permanent settlements were first built during the Neolithic era, when trees were felled to create land for farming.[26]
The area was inhabited by Picts in late antiquity, and was largely Christian by the 7th century.[27] From the 8th century Wester Ross, along with much of the western seaboard of Scotland, came under Norse domination, and placename evidence suggests that the Pictish language seems to have been entirely replaced wherever the Norsemen encountered it, with most names considered likely to be of Medieval rather than pre-Norse origin.[28] Following the decline of Norse power in western Scotland after their defeat at the Battle of Largs the semi-independent Lords of the Isles came to dominate the western coast until the 15th century, when Scottish Crown was able to cement its control over the region.[27]
The 16th century marked the height of the Clan structure in the Highlands, and Wester Ross was occupied by different clans, chiefly the Mackenzies and the Macdonalds.[27] Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title of Lord of the Isles until 1493, and two of those chiefs also held the title of Earl of Ross until 1476.[citation needed] During this period the area was farmed under the communal run-rig system, with people living in small townships, growing oats, bere (barley), and later potatoes. Cattle-rearing was the chief economic activity, with cattle being raised in the glens and then driven to market. This trade expanded during the early 19th century, due to the demands of the new industrial cities and the British armed forces for cattle for beef.[29]
The clan structure began to break down in the 18th century, as clan chiefs came to see themselves as landlords, and the small tenant farmers had no legal answer to a landlord who wished to have them removed. During the late 18th and 19th centuries, the Highland Clearances saw tenants being forcibly moved to become crofters, a system under which their labour would be available when required by their landlords: they would be workers first and farmers second. Crofters were employed in enterprises such as fishing (Ullapool in the north of Wester Ross was built by the British Fishing Society in the 1780-90s) and kelping (the collection and processing of kelp to create products such as soda ash).[30] In the later stages of the clearances the driver ceased to be industrial enterprises, but simply to clear the land for sheep farming, and later deer forests. At this point emigration was often the only option to those removed from their homes.
Under pressure from the Highland Land League and public opinion a series of inquiries were held into the situation, leading to the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 which put an end to the clearances by granting security of tenure to crofters.[31] However the act did not break up large estates, and Wester Ross continues to consist chiefly of large single-owner estates.[32]
There are many different habitats in Wester Ross, ranging from the marine and coastal environment to mountain summits over 1000m above sea level. The area forms one of the Watsonian vice-counties, geographical divisions of the British Isles used for the purposes of biological recording and other scientific data-gathering.[33]
The rivers and lochs of Wester Ross support important populations of Atlantic salmon and sea trout, although numbers of adult fish have declined in recent years.[38]Freshwater pearl mussels live in the gravel beds of clean, fast flowing rivers: the population had declined across Europe as a result of pollution, habitat changes and pearl fishing, and the Wester Ross population is now of international importance.[38]Otters and water voles are both present in strong numbers in the rivers of Wester Ross:[38] water voles populations have been in decline across Great Britain due to predation by non-native American mink, which have only recently been recorded in Wester Ross.[39] The lochs also support internationally important concentrations of breeding black-throated divers, which is at the southern edge of its range in Wester Ross. Besides salmon and trout, Arctic charr can be found in many of the lochs.[39]
There are areas of Caledonian pinewood at Shieldaig, Coulin, Torridon, Beinn Eighe, Rhidorroch, Achnashellach and the islands on Loch Maree. Though small in terms of area, these pinewoods (which are composed chiefly of Scots pine, alongside deciduous species such as birch and rowan) are an internationally important habitat. These woods are genetically distinct from the pinewoods of central and eastern Scotland, and support a highly specialised flora and fauna including rare mosses and lichens, and insects such as the Scottish wood ant. The pinewoods are also habitats for red squirrel and black grouse.[40]
White-tailed eagles were reintroduced into Wester Ross during the 1990s, with 58 birds being released between 1993 and 1998. This was the second phase of the reintroduction of white-tailed eagles into Scotland, following on from the release of 82 birds on Rùm between 1975 and 1985. As of 2014, it was estimated that there were 98 breeding pairs living along the west coast of Scotland.[43]
Conservation designations
The Wester Ross National Scenic Area covers 1635km2 of countryside and seascape, and is the largest of the national scenic areas in terms of land area (1439km2).[1] It extends from Loch Kishorn in the south to Little Loch Broom in the north.[44] There are two further national scenic areas (NSA) that include parts of Wester Ross: the Kintail NSA and the Coigach portion of the Assynt-Coigach NSA.[45]
Wester Ross was designated as a Biosphere Reserve in April 2016.[12] The designated area is subdivided into three zones:[46]
The National Trust for Scotland, a charity that cares for sites of historic or natural significance, owns seven properties in Wester Ross:
The 7,050ha (17,422 acres)Kintail and Falls of Glomach Estate covers the mountains on the north side of Glen Shiel, including the "Five Sisters of Kintail" and the Falls of Glomach. The Falls became a Trust property in 1941, whilst the wider Kintail Estate entered Trust ownership in 1944. The estate is adjacent to the Trust's West Affric Estate in Inverness-shire.[49][50]
The Balmacara estate, which became a Trust property in 1946, is a 2,277ha (5,627 acres) crofting estate covering the land surrounding Plockton.[51][52]
The ruins of Strome Castle, situated on a rocky promontory in Loch Carron, have been a Trust property since 1939.[53]
The 6,457ha (15,955 acres)Torridon Estate covers the mountains on the north side of Glen Torridon, including Beinn Alligin, Liathach and part of Beinn Eighe, and has been a Trust property since 1967.[54][55]
Inverewe Garden, which has been a Trust property since 1952, was first established by Osgood Mackenzie and brings together exotic plants from around the world. The garden forms part of a wider estate, covering 839ha (2,074 acres) in total, all of which is under Trust ownership.[56][57]
The population of Wester Ross[note 1] was 8701 according to the 2011 census of Scotland,[58] showing a slight increase compared to 8491 in 1991.[59] The population is generally older than Scotland as a whole, with 22.1% being aged 65 or older, compared to 16.8% for Scotland as a whole.[60] The area is sparsely populated, having one of the lowest population densities in Europe, with just 1.6 people per km2.[5]
Wester Ross has historically been a Gaelic-speaking area; however, the language suffered from persecution for many years, and its decline was hastened when English-language schooling became compulsory in the late 19th century. In the 2011 census 10.6% of the population reported being able to speak the language, compared to only 1.1% of the population of Scotland as whole.[61][60] As well as being a spoken language Gaelic culture continues to be important in the area through traditional music and ceilidhs.[13]
Wester Ross is featured in the lyrics to the song "Letter from America" by The Proclaimers, and "Kishorn Commandos" by North Sea Gas, which relate the wild lifestyle of construction workers on the Ninian Central Platform in Kishorn.[70][71] Many other songs refer to or are named after areas, geographical features and villages of Wester Ross, notably Loch Maree Islands, which has been recorded by many artists including Calum Kennedy.[72]
Ross and Cromarty, is an area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In modern usage, it is a registration county and a lieutenancy area. Between 1889 and 1975 it was a county.
Ross is an area of Scotland. It was first recorded in the tenth century as a province, at which time it was under Norwegian overlordship. It was claimed by the Scottish crown in 1098, and from the 12th century Ross was an earldom. From 1661 there was a county of Ross, also known as Ross-shire, covering most but not all of the province, in particular excluding Cromartyshire. Cromartyshire was subsequently merged with the county of Ross in 1889 to form the county of Ross and Cromarty. The area is now part of the Highland council area.
Loch Maree is a loch in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. At 21.7 km (13.46 mi) long and with a maximum width of four kilometres, it is the fourth-largest freshwater loch in Scotland; it is the largest north of Loch Ness. Its surface area is 28.7 km2 (11.08 sq mi).
Beinn Eighe is a mountain massif in the Torridon area of Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. Lying south of Loch Maree, it forms a long ridge with many spurs and summits, two of which are classified as Munros: Ruadh-stac Mòr at 1,010 m (3,314 ft) and Spidean Coire nan Clach at 993 m (3,258 ft). Unlike most other hills in the area it has a cap of Cambrian basal quartzite which gives the peaks of Beinn Eighe a distinctive light colour. Its complex topography has made it popular with both hillwalkers and climbers and the national nature reserve on its northern side makes it an accessible mountain for all visitors.
The Torridon Hills surround Torridon village in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is usually applied to the mountains to the north of Glen Torridon. They are among the most dramatic and spectacular peaks in the British Isles and made of some of the oldest rocks in the world. Many are over 3,000 feet high, so are considered Munros.
Loch Torridon is a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland in the Northwest Highlands. The loch was created by glacial processes and is in total around 15 miles (25 km) long. It has two sections: Upper Loch Torridon to landward, east of Rubha na h-Airde Ghlaise, at which point it joins Loch Sheildaig; and the main western section of Loch Torridon proper. Loch a' Chracaich and Loch Beag are small inlets on the southern shores of the outer Loch, which joins the Inner Sound between the headlands of Rubha na Fearna to the south and Red Point to the north.
Kinlochewe is a village in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. It is in the parish of Gairloch, the community of Torridon and Kinlochewe and the Highland council area. It lies near the head of Loch Maree in its magnificent valley, and serves as a junction between the main Ullapool road north, and that which heads west to the coast at Loch Torridon. Loch Maree was at one time also known as Loch Ewe, hence the village's apparently confused name.
The Torridon Group is a series of Tonian arenaceous and argillaceous sedimentary rocks, which occur extensively in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. These strata are particularly well exposed in the district of upper Loch Torridon, a circumstance which suggested the name Torridon Sandstone, first applied to these rocks by James Nicol. Stratigraphically, they lie unconformably on gneisses of the Lewisian complex and sandstones of the lithologically similar Mesoproterozoic Stoer Group and their outcrop extent is restricted to the Hebridean Terrane.
Ross-shire, or the County of Ross, was a county in the Scottish Highlands. It bordered 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. The mainland had a coast to the east onto the Moray Firth and a coast to the west onto the Minch. Ross-shire was named after and covered most of the ancient province of Ross, and also included the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The county town was Dingwall.
Torridon is a small village in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is also applied to the area surrounding the village, particularly the Torridon Hills, mountains to the north of Glen Torridon. The village lies on the shore of Loch Torridon.
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.
Loch Carron is a sea loch on the west coast of Ross and Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands, which separates the Lochalsh peninsula from the Applecross peninsula, and from the Stromeferry headland east of Loch Kishorn. It is the point at which the River Carron enters the North Atlantic Ocean.
Ardelve is a village in Highland, Scotland, on Loch Alsh. It overlooks the Eilean Donan Castle, which is in Dornie, also on Loch Alsh, to the east of Skye. A caravan park, several guest houses, a bakery, and pizzeria are located within Ardelve.
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.
The Wester Ross Coastal Trail is a route in the Western part of the Scottish Highlands. The route consists of the A832 road, the A896 road and the Applecross Peninsula. The northern end of the route is the junction with the A835 south of Ullapool. The southern end of the route is at Auchtertyre near Kyle of Lochalsh.
Applecross Bay is large remote tidal coastal embayment, located next to the small fishing village of Applecross and is on the west coast of the Applecross peninsula in the Wester Ross part of Ross and Cromarty, in the Scottish Highlands in the west coast of Scotland. It lies between Loch Torridon and Loch Kishorn. The bay and village was inaccessible by road until the late 18th century and can now be reached by the long coastal road Shieldaig that was completed in 1982, or from the Scottish Gaelic: Bealach na Bà or Pass of the Cattle which at 625 metres (2,051 ft), is one of the highest roads in Scotland. The village of Applecross was established by St. Moalrubha, in the 7th century. A sculptured stone is the only relic of St. Moalrubha remaining, who built a chapel there.
Beinn a' Chearcaill is a mountain in the Torridon Hills of northwest Scotland. It lies south of Loch Maree in Wester Ross.
Loch Clair is a small remote shallow low-altitude freshwater loch, located within the Coulin Forest, some three miles to the south-west of Kinlochewe in Wester Ross. Loch Clair is the lower of two lochs in the same valley and is aligned on a southeast-northwest bearing. The other loch is Loch Coulin which is fed by the River Coulin, the waters of which in turn flow out of Loch Coulin through a short unnamed river into Loch Clair. A small lochan, Loch Bharranch, is located a mile to the west and drains into the western end of Loch Clair through an unnamed burn.
Loch Coulin is a small remote shallow low-altitude freshwater lochan, located within the Coulin Forest, some four miles to the south-west of Kinlochewe in Wester Ross. It is fed by the river Coulin from the south and its outflow is into Loch Clair in the north-west. Loch Coulin is within Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve.
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