Ardnamurchan Lighthouse
Ardnamurchan, which means ‘the hill of the great sea’ is the westerly point of the British mainland and the lighthouse has been guiding ships safely through the waters off Scotland’s west coast since 1849. The 36 metre granite tower soars 55 metres above the rocks, and was built in 1849 using granite from the Island of Mull. It was designed by Alan Stevenson, uncle of Robert Louis Stevenson, whose family designed most of Scotland’s lighthouses over a period of 150 years. The former keepers’ cottages and outbuildings have been managed by the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust since 1996. They are now operated as a visitor centre, offering the chance to learn more about Scottish lighthouses and the flora and fauna of the Ardnamurchan peninsula.
Glen Roy Parallel Roads
The parallel roads of Glen Roy are two horizontal ridges that appear on the hills at the same height on either side of the glen. They are so unusual that local Gaelic folklore accounts for them as roads that were built by Fingal the giant who probably used them for hunting. They in fact the marks left on the landscape by a series of ice-dammed proglacial lake shorelines. As the ice melted and the shoreline retreated they left these unusual indentations on the landscape.
The Floating Church
Strontian was reputedly the site of the first moored boat church in the country. Following the Disruption of 1843 in which the Church of Scotland Free (later the Free Church of Scotland) walked out of the Church of Scotland General Assembly, a congregation of 500 members around Strontian petitioned Sir James Riddell, who then owned the entire Ardnamurchan peninsula, for land and permission to build a new church. He however believed this new church to be “anti-social” and “anti-Christian”. Many of the congregation however were becoming ill from attending services outdoors and they decided that each should pay a subscription towards a suitable boat, which they boat on the Clyde and services were undertaken about 150 metres offshore in Loch Sunart. Eventually a site was obtained and a Free Church was built near Acharacle in 1868. Unfortunately, there are no remnants of this boat remaining today.
Kiel church
Keil, near Lochaline on the Morvern peninsula, is an ancient religious site that has associations with St Columba. Although the present church at Keil dates from the 19th century, there are fragments of an earlier medieval church in the burial ground. The church has a prominent position overlooking the Sound of Mull and Lochaline (Loch Àlainn in Gaelic means beautiful loch) which would have made it more accessible in the past when travel by sea to remote areas was commonplace. This goes some way to explain why St Columba founded a monastery here. The original church was called Cille Choluimchille which roughly (and oddly) translates as "The Church of St Columba of the Church".
Canna House
Dr John Lorne Campbell and his wife Margaret Fay Shaw were both fascinated by folklore and ancient culture and language, especially Gaelic, and during their lifetimes collected information of historical importance, all of which is now located at Canna House on the Isle of Canna. Both Campbell and Shaw were interesting and dedicated people, but Margaret Fay Shaw’s story is extremely fascinating. Born in Pennsylvania in 1903 she first crossed the Atlantic to visit Scotland at the age of 16. It was whilst at school for a year in Helensburgh that she became aware of Gaelic music and culture and decided to visit the islands. It was on the Isle of South Uist she met and stayed with two sisters for six years recording, annotating and photographing their extraordinary way of life. This collection of song and lore was eventually published in 1955 as Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist and has never been out of print since. Campbell and Shaw bought the Isle of Canna and with Canna House as their base and continued their research and collecting. They bequeathed the island to the National Trust for Scotland in 1981 although they continued to live there until their passing, Campbell in 1996 and Shaw in 2004 at the age of 101.
An Ealdhainn Gallery
An Ealdhainn Gallery in Fort William is part of the The Lime Tree hotel and restaurant. The gallery is a purpose built space and exhibits contemporary art and hosts around two public exhibitions a year. The gallery not only prides itself in giving contemporary artists a platform to exhibit their work but also in bringing major exhibitions from national collections to Fort William. The word Ealdhainn means ‘the place of creativity’ and it certainly is that, with a studio space for two visual artists, David Wilson and Mohamed Sardo whose work is on permanent display in the gallery and throughout the hotel and restaurant.
Cille Choirill
Cille Choirill sits high above the road on the summit of Tom Aingeal (translated to Angel’s Hill in English), about a mile beyond Roy Bridge. The earliest church recorded on this sacred site is said to have been built by a 15th century Cameron chief, but the area would undoubtedly have been hallowed ground long before that as it is dedicated to St Cairell, a sixth century Irish bishop. For centuries Cille Choirill has been the ancestral burial place of the MacDonells of Keppoch, many of whose monuments still survive. The famous warrior-bard Iain Lom MacDonald who died in 1709 is said to lie here, although the tall beautiful carved stone commemorating him does not mark the actual grave. The present building was restored in 1932 by the efforts of local people aided by support from the descendants of emigrant clans folk in Nova Scotia.
Isle of Rum
The Isle of Rum is today one of Scotland’s most famous nature reserves with vast and varied species, among them the soaring white-tailed sea eagles and rare plants like the Pillwort fern. Although not a native species the red deer that were introduced to the Island when it became a sporting estate in the 19th century are thriving and have become national celebrities after they were featured in the BBC Autumn Watch programme. The indigenous human population was not however so fortunate and it reached a low point in 1826-28, when the population of 350 was forcibly removed and sent to Canada, to be replaced by a tenant farmer and 8,000 sheep. The island is however a fantastic place to visit and to enjoy wonderful scenery and wildlife.
West Highland Museum
Situated in the High Street in the heart of the historic town of Fort William, the West Highland Museum’s collections tell the story of the Highland region and its history. Their most renowned and unusual collection relates to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite cause. They also hold a wealth of curious and fascinating collections relating to less well-known aspects of the lives of the people of the West Highlands, from the effects of political warfare, to the economic impact of tourism in the region, and the coming of the industrial and modern age.
Knoydart
Knoydart is one of the remotest inhabited parts of the Scottish Mainland as it is only accessible by boat or by a 16-mile walk through rough terrain. This area of land has had a contentious past, in 1852 four hundred of the inhabitants were given notice of eviction and offered passages overseas and the following year, three hundred and thirty inhabitants boarded the Sillery and left for Canada. 11 families comprising over 60 people refused to go and the story of their eviction became notorious as part of the infamous Highland Clearances. These land struggles continued in various forms until, in 1999, the Knoydart Foundation, a partnership between local residents and other organisations, bought the estate and revitalised the area. Designated as a National Scenic Area, Knoydart is popular with hill walkers, mountaineers, sailors, wildlife enthusiasts and those who want to enjoy a pint in the Old Forge, the remotest pub on the British Mainland!
Castle Tioram
Castle Tioram is a ruined castle which dates back to the 13th century that sits on the tidal island Eilean Tioram in Loch Moidart, Lochaber. The castle is the traditional seat of Clan MacDonald of Clan Ranald, a branch of Clan Donald and is strategically positioned at the head of Loch Sheil, controlling access to it, yet hidden from the sea. Its name ‘Caisteil Tioram’ means ‘dry castle’. The castle was seized by Government forces around 1692 when Clan Chief Allan of Clan Ranald joined the Jacobite Court in France, despite having sworn allegiance to the British Crown. A small garrison was stationed in the castle until the Jacobite Uprising of 1715 when Allan recaptured and torched it, purportedly to keep it out of the hands of Hanoverian forces. The castle has fallen into a state of disrepair and can no longer be accessed, however it is worth stopping off and taking a walk over to the tidal island.
Mascare Cave
Massacre Cave on the Island of Eigg sits in the back of a fault-like crevice under a steep rock face. It is no more than 0.65 metres high and one needs to crawl to gain access and then keep crawling for a further 7 metres before it opens out. But it was in this cave that it is believed 395 people, the entire population of the Island, were killed in the 16th century. There had been a lengthy feud between the Macleod and MacDonald clans and according to Clanranald tradition, in 1577 a party of MacLeods staying on the island became too amorous and caused trouble with the local girls. They were subsequently rounded up, bound and cast adrift in The Minch but were rescued by some clansmen. A party of MacLeods subsequently landed on Eigg with revenge in mind. The local people hid in the cave but when the MacLeods left, a MacDonald carelessly climbed onto a promontory to watch their departure and was spotted. The MacLeods returned and were able to follow his footprints back to the cave. They smoked the cave, cut off the water supply and subsequently killed everyone inside.
