Loch Shieldaig, Wester Ross

Strolling along the shore in front of the main street in Shieldaig village I found several large scallop shells, open and discarded and now half hidden among the boulders and seaweed strewn along the shoreline. Diving for scallops is common is these parts as is creeling for shellfish, but today's fishing is far removed from the industry which grew up here during the 1800's. Then the area was renowned for its herring and the name Shieldaig actually comes from the old Norse meaning Herring Bay.

View from the Applecross Road towards the village of Shiledaig

Shieldaig village was built with grants from the Admiralty who were keen to train seamen to join the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The villagers, however, were never called on to fight as Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815 after which the Admiralty pull their funding from the area and the villagers were forced to return to herring fishing.

The whitewashed houses of Shieldaig's main street

The herring may now be gone but fishing today is as vibrant as ever and concentrates on prawns, nephrops, langoustines and lobsters, mussels and salmon. Spurred on by a love of all things fishy we sought out the Loch Torridon smoke house which is situated in a small garden just off the main street in Shieldaig. All the products here are local and oak smoked and if you love fish it is well worth a visit.

Shiledaig village is a picturesque place with its string of whitewashed houses lining the shore. Probably the best known feature here is Shiledaig Island which sits just offshore from the village. It is a curious rocky mound covered in Caledonian Pine trees and is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and run as a bird reserve. In recent years it has proved attractive as a nest site for a pair of white tailed sea eagles which have bred here successfully several times.

Shieldaig Island

 To the north of the village is a rocky proprietary which separates Loch Shiledaig from its larger neighbour Loch Torridon. There is a lovely walk which follows the edge of the peninsular and affords fantastic views along the shores of both Loch Torridon and Shieldaig. Following a well worn path we came across two wonderfully isolated cottages,with no route back to civilisation except by sea or on foot. I couldn't help thinking how magical and inspiring this must be; the ultimate retreat for an artist. I suspect the reality however would be much harder than my daydreams suggest.

My idea of an artists retreat!

Looking out over Loch Torridon

Returning to the village we seek out refreshments in Nanny's; a  tearoom and craft shop at the far end of the street. This delightful little building houses an Aladdin's cave of crafts, books and pictures including many stunning images from local photographer Steve Carter.

View from the Applecross Road

Loch Shieldaig Facts

OS Explorer Map 428

Steve Carter also runs a comprehensive website about Torridon and Shiledaig which contains some really useful information if you are planning a visit.