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I went down to the Port Henderson area to do some reconnaissance of the landscape. I have yet to photograph the stretch of land between Port Henderson and Redpoint. I didn't have long to explore, just under an hour because I had to be back in Gairloch to meet my wife there.
I did discover some areas worth exploring further in better light, it was raining and quite overcast, but as my time was soon up I headed back to Gairloch. I had just passed Loch Bad na h-Achaise and this view appeared just as I reached Badachro. The rain had stopped and the light had improved somewhat.
The autumnal colours in the soft light were being mirrored by the colours of the seaweed on the shore. The heavy clouds added a little atmosphere that appealed to me and I decided to stop and photograph the scene.
The small stream is not named on the 1:25000 scale Ordnance survey map but is named in Professor Watson's Place Names of Ross and Cromarty. It is called An Uidh and is the outlet to the sea emanating from Loch Bad na h-Achaise. According to Professor Watson this means the loch of the arm-pit. This is not the most romantic or attractive of names but apparently achlaise is very common in Highland place names.
To the left of the stream is the beginning of the Aird peninsula and to the right within the bay can be seen Eilean Tioram, Dry Island, so called since it can be reached by a causeway at low tide.
North-west Highland Place Names
The landscape of the North-west Highlands and the Gaelic language are intimately connected. Other languages have contributed to the richness of our place names, notably Norse, but the North-west Highlands have for centuries been a Gaelic landscape. In listing the meanings of place names I have relied on authoritative sources wherever possible. For further information about sources please refer to North-west Highland Place Names in the main menu.
Aird; At Badachro, full Gaelic name is Sidhean na h-Airde where Airde refers to a promontory or height and Sidhean to a ‘round’ or ‘fairy hill’.
An Uidh; A small short stream flowing from Loch Bad na h-Achlaise to the bay at Badachro. Watson states that uidh is from the Norse eith and is common in place-names, where it may mean (i) isthmus, cf. the Eye peninsula at Stornoway, or (ii) according to some, slow running water between two lochs. The latter explanation fits this case.
Eilean Tioram; Dry island, because it can be reached on foot at low tide.
Gairloch; The short loch.
Loch Bad na h-Achaise; The loch of the arm pit, according to Professor Watson achlais is very common in place names.
Port Henderson; According to Professor Watson the native name for this place is Portigil, from port-gil, gate gully; by others Port an Sgùmain, Haven of the Stack. In Dixon’s Gairloch he suggests the name may derive from Port a geal, the white port.
Red Point; The anglicized version of the Gaelic name Rudha Dearg, but sometimes called Rudha Lachdunn, the dun or swarthy point.
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