Loch Kishorn, Wester Ross

Winter is one of my favourite times to be in Scotland. With a covering of snow and constantly changing light it is a rich environment for a photographer and one that I am happy to explore on a regular basis.

Loch Kishorn is situated in one of my favourite parts of the West Coast on the edge of the Applecross peninsular. The loch looks across some of the most wild and rugged landscapes on this part of the coast, but it does not feel barren or isolated.

Loch Kishorn at sunrise

There are three small settlements strung out along the eastern shore of the loch. Collectively know as Kishorn. they are in fact the villages of Sanachan, Ardarroch  and Achintraid. Sanachan lies at the head of the loch on the main road and contains all the amenities incluiding a shop and post office and a small chapel. Ardarroch and Achintraid lie further off the main road and are much quieter; they also have the best views looking out over the Corbetts of Sgurr a' Chaorachain and Beinn Bhàn and the pass of the Bealach na Ba.

View over Loch Kishorn from the Bealach na Ba

If you only do one thing on a trip to this area it should be to take the Bealach na Ba, the ancient drovers route to Applecross also known as the pass of the cattle. This breathtaking single track road has hairpin bends and 1 in 4 slopes and boasts the greatest ascent of any road climb in the UK, rising from sea level to 626 metres. The assent is both hair raising and awe inspiring at any time of the year but in the snow it is even more spectacular and the views looking back over loch Kishorn are stunning.

The Garra Islands at the mouth of Loch Kishorn

The eastern slopes of the loch are softened by large areas of forest with paths and trails running in all directions. There is a lovely walk out to the mouth of the loch giving views over the Garra Islands which mark the entrance; the largest if which is Kishorn Island.

Aquaculture is an important industry in this part of the Highlands and as you walk out of Achintraid towards the sea you pass several large fish farms producing large quantities of Atlantic Salmon. The villages link with the sea and seafood is further illustrated by the award winning
Kishorn Seafood bar which is situated on the main road near the head of the loch.

Achintraid

Loch Kishorn is fed by the Kishorn river which flows down from the north and tumbles over a boulder strew riverbed into the loch. Cross the river and follow the road a little way and the remains of the Kishorn Yard, a fabrication plant for oil platforms can be seen.. The yard operated from 1975 to 1987 and at its peak employed over 3,000 people housed in temporary accommodation on site and in two ships in the loch. It is hard to imagine this tranquil place having such large scale industry at its heart for much of the evidence has now vanished to be reclaimed once again by the wild.

Looking across the Loch from Achintraid

Loch Kishorn facts

OS Explorer Map 428
Loch Kishorn is approximately 4 miles long from the head of the estuary to the sea and 1 mile wide. 

It has a maximum depth of 61 meters and is actually a fjord.