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Loch Eriboll is a Sea Loch on the north
coast of Scotland, 6 miles east of Durness, 73
miles west of John O
Groats.
The Loch is popular for its Viewpoint and
Deer Island. Postcode: IV27 4UJ.
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The image top is from the southeast side of
Loch Eriboll looking north out into the North
Atlantic towards the Faroe Islands about 300
miles north, and Greenland about 600 miles
north.
The second image is of Ard Neackie, that
looks like an Island but is actually connected
to the Mainland by a narrow strip of land, with
an old Ferry House from 1829, and Limekiln
buildings from the 1870s.
Quicklime was produced there for Mortar and
to treat Acidic Soil around the UK.
The Viewpoint is at a high point above Ard
Neackie, one of those areas in Scotland you
just have to spend some time taking in the
views.
Deer Island is just over the hill to the
north of Ard Neackie. There is a small car park
looking down over the Island. At times, there
can be up to 20 red deer on the small
Island.
Deer Island is in the small Loch Ach'an,
that is connected to Loch Eriboll.
The road to Ben Hope Mountain starts 2 miles
east of Loch Eriboll. The Mountain can be found
by traveling down Loch Hope road for about 5
miles. This is the furthest north Mountain in
Scotland over 3,000ft, with a fairly large car
park for the many Hikers, with a well marked
walking route up past Waterfalls to the top.
Photo Tour of
Ben Hope.
The area of Laid on the west side of Loch
Eriboll is where you can see painted Stones on
the hillside for names of Warships based here
in the 1930s, such as Hood for the huge
HMS Hood
battle-cruiser.
Loch Eriboll History
Loch Eriboll is about 16 km / 10 miles long.
The road along the north coast of Scotland
between Durness and John O Groats would be
about 75 miles if it were not for this loch.
The 15 miles you have to drive around the Loch
takes the distance up to about 90 miles.
There are Bronze Age and Iron Age remains
around the loch.
This is a deep water Loch known to have been
used by Ships for many centuries when trying to
avoid storms.
Around the Loch are the old Farming areas of
Eriboll, Laid, Heilam, Portnancon, and Rispond.
These would once have been thriving communities
before the Highland Clearances of the early
1800s, with about 500 people living around the
Loch. Today, there are about 18 Croft's.
1829 - the Sutherland/Stafford family bought
most of the land in this area from the
Mackay's. They then built Roads to the area and
Piers on each side of the Loch to run the
Heilam Ferry across the Loch between Portnancon
and Ard Neackie.
The Old Ferry House was also built at that
time on Ard Neackie to house the Ferrymen, and
may have been used as an Inn for some time, the
building is still there today, although
empty.
The Sutherland's cleared many farmers from
the area to make way for large scale sheep
farming. Many moving to coastal Towns for
Fishing, to Cities, and some to the US, Canada
and Australia.
1870s - Limekilns were
built on Ard Neackie to make Quick Lime to be
used as Mortar or to treat Acidic Soils. The
Quick Lime was transported by Ship to be used
around the UK.
1890s - the Road was completed around the
Loch, leading to the closure of the Ferry
service.
1940s - the Royal Navy used the Loch during
World War II with warships often based
there.
1944 - Eilean Choraidh, largest Island in
the Loch, was used by British Bombers for
Target Practice before their Attack on the
mighty German Battleship Tirpitz that
was anchored in a Norwegian Fjord.
1945 - the German surrender at the end of
World War II led to their remaining 33 U-boats
being taken to Loch Eriboll.
2011 - the Loch was used for the largest War
Games ever held in the UK, involving the Navy's
assault ship HMS Bulwark,
used to land Marines on land.
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