©WELCOME
TO KINLOCHEWE AND LOCH MAREE
WESTER-ROSS
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The village of Kinlochewe is situated approximately 50 miles West of Inverness on the A832 Garve to Gairloch road amidst the magnificent scenery of the Torridon Hills, Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve and at the head of the beautiful Loch Maree.
Tiered-wall mountains with ramparts high are the hallmark of this, the Torridon Mountains area which surrounds Kinlochewe , a beauty that is unsurpassed by any other in Scotland . The natural beauty of the area was so important to our national heritage that as a result in 1951 , Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve , the first in Britain , was formed. The reserve is home to some of the last remnants of the old Caledonian Forest which once spread across the greater part of the Highlands . In 1967 the adjoining Torridon Estate was gifted to the National Trust for Scotland , within the Trust area are two of the finest mountains in the country, Liathach and Beinn Alligan.
Glacial erosion has played a significant role in the creation of this complex landscape, carving out the corries and u-shaped glens. The bulk of the mountains Torridonian Sandstone capped with quartzite that has weathered to create mountains of a distinct and individual character. Kinlochewe is overlooked by the quartz topped East ridge of Beinn Eighe to the south and the fortress like buttress's of Slioch to the north. The Moine Thrust geological feature runs through the centre of Kinlochewe.
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The area abounds with mammal, insect and birdlife, together with a rich flora; for the naturalist , botanist and photographer
a general wildlife haven. Over 200 hundred species of plant can be found in the area,some rare alpines.
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The Mountaineer and Hillwalker are not to be forgotten, the Kinlochewe area plays an important role in Scottish Mountaineering circles, with some of the most demanding Summer and Winter climbing routes available possibly in the World. It also encompasses some of the last remaining near wilderness areas in the British Isles with walks and climbs suitable for all abilities.
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The area is well serviced with various good homely accommodation and eating establishments, fresh seafood, game and home produce are a speciality of the area. We pride ourselves in our excellent "Highland Hospitality" which is second to none.
A very brief History of the area:
As can be appreciated Kinlochewe has been in existence for many centuries thus rendering it almost impossible to give a full history, we will however try to point you in the right direction with bibliography and local anecdotes.
Kinlochewe is situated at the joining of three distinct glens; Glen Torridon, Glen Docherty and Glen Cruaidh Choillie (Heights of Kinlochewe), it is bordered to the west by the Loch Maree Basin .
There are Bronze age burial cists in the area. In 1898 at Bruachaig, to the east of the village one such cist was uncovered by a plough boy , some of the contents are preserved in Gairloch Heritage Museum (Neolithic Stone Ball) and the Scottish National Museum in Edinburgh (Bruachaig Cup).
Are there more such artefacts in the area ?, only time, perseverance and a bit of luck will tell. With strong evidence of Bronze age activity in the area it is inevitable that some form of habitation (Bronze age settlement ?) will eventually be revealed.
Circa 1607;
It is difficult to imagine that the shores of Loch Maree were once a centre of the early Iron industry in Scotland and may indeed have been the birthplace of Scotland 's Iron and Steel industry. Records suggest that in 1607 Sir George Hay set up his first bloomery (furnace) at Letterewe where a colony of Englishmen made "iron and cast great guns" for some sixty years. Evidence of further bloomeries can be found at the east end of Loch Maree at Fasaigh, this site was extensively excavated in 1995 by a group of archaeologists from Glasgow University . Significant finds were made and recorded by the group.
Circa 1800;
Achnasheen hotel, which was burnt out in February 1994, was located on the railway station and built by the Mackenzies as a railhead coaching station servicing the areas to the west. Other establishments such as the hotel at Kinlchewe and Loch Maree Hotel were built at around the same time, significantly these were located 10 miles apart, (a comfortable day's coach trip) thus forming a chain of relay stations from the newly constructed railhead at Achnasheen. The stable and coach house are still in existence at Loch Maree these are nowadays used as a garage and storage area for the hotel. Loch Maree Hotel and the more recent Ledgowan Lodge Hotel are still excellent dining and eating establishments boasting some of the best food in the area.
Achnasheen Hotel Hotel February 1994 Hotel site now cleared
James Hogg "The Ettrick Shepherd" gives mention to a hostelry in his travels of the Highlands in 1803,this is believed to have been located at Incheril, it was known as Kenlochewe Inn (Kenlochewe being old spelling). The Kenlochewe Inn was a stop off point for travellers to the west along Loch Maree's north shore.
Loch Maree Hotel was built in 1872 . In 1877 Queen Victoria chose to stay at the hotel for six nights , a large stone commemorating the visit was inscribed and remains at the front of the hotel to this day. The Queen in her " Gracious Condescension willed that this stone should be a remembrancer of the pleasure she found in coming to this part of Ross-Shire".
Hotel 2003
Translation of inscription Gaelic inscription
1939-1945;
The area around the village was extensively used as a training ground for mountain warfare by Commando units and as such was restricted during this period.
13 th March 1951 ;
A tragedy occurred on the Triple Buttress's of Beinne Eighe. A Lancaster bomber on a training mission from RAF Kinloss crashed into the top of the right hand buttress, as a result all on board perished. Due to adverse weather and difficult mountain terrain it was almost two months before all the bodies were recovered by a joint services rescue crew. The consequence of this was that the RAF Mountain Rescue Teams as we know them today were formed. The aircraft was destroyed in situ with explosives after recovery of the bodies of the crew. There are still large sections of the aircraft strewn down the gully to the right of the buttress's, these include Rolls Royce Merlin engines, wheel and wing sections the main fuselage section being lodged in the gully at the top. By all means look and photograph but please do not remove parts. Perhaps a moment of reflection in respect for those who died in this tragic accident would be appropriate.
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The incident control point was Kinlochewe Old Village Hall which still exists as an Outdoor shop and information/resource centre, due to the adverse weather conditions at the time this was the closest access point to the crash site. Modern day equipment such as helicopters and all terrain vehicles were not available and as such all rescue gear had to be backpacked into the site, a distance of some nine miles over unforgiving terrain with the added problem of deep snow.
Churches and Religion
This is a more complex subject than can be imagined, we will however try to give as accurately as possible an insight.
Circa 641
Christianity arrived in the area courtesy of one St Mealrubha , he established a cell on Isle Maree on Loch Maree . This island prior to his arrival had a wide and varied occupancy, there are remains of a Druid Circle and graves of a Viking Prince and Princess interspersed with several more recent graves. Legend has it that when the Prince was returning from one of his forays the Princess as a bit of a prank raised a black flag on her longboat indicating that she had died, her prince on seeing this flag assumed the worst and took his own life, in her grief the Princess stabbed herself to death, both were buried side by side on Isle Maree, the graves remain untouched to this day. It is deemed to be very unlucky to remove anything from the island, SNH who are the guardians of the island continue this practice.
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