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The parish of Gairloch is fortunate to have a museum dedicated to recording its history and culture. The Gairloch Heritage Museum was established in 1977 in a converted farmstead by the local heritage society and to-date it has won seven national awards.
The museum has displays covering all aspects of the history of the parish of Gairloch from the earliest times to the present day showing how people lived and worked in the area. Displays include the recreation of a croft house interior, schoolroom, village shop, and parlour. Also on display is the original light from the nearby Rhubha Reidh lighthouse, one of the largest lens assembled by the Northern Lighthouse Board.
Museum collections include archeology, local records including census records and parochial registers, costumes and textiles, maritime records, and social history. The museum can also conduct genealogical research for families for an hourly fee, but if you can visit the museum its resources are made available for personal research, by appointment, the only fee being the admission price to the museum.
A shop is available selling a wide variety of books concerning local history, culture, archeology and other subjects. Throughout the year a variety of exhibitions and demonstrations of traditional activities are provided details of which are available from the museum.
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.
Gairloch; Gaelic, village named after the loch of the same name, Loch Gairloch, An Gearr-loch, the short loch.
Rubha Reidh; Listed by Watson and Dixon as Rudha-Réidh, ‘the smooth point’.
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