Image Details
On the right amongst the trees is the building called 'The Manse' at Poolewe. No longer serving as a manse it was sold by the church in 1964 and at the time of writing this, 2008, is now owned by Inveran Estate. It is let as a holiday cottage, including the rights to fish in the River Ewe.
In the centre of the picture the road from Gairloch can just be seen snaking it's way down the hill and thence running to the right out of the picture and on to Poolewe. The rocky outcrop to the left is Tollie Crags below which is Loch Maree, the source of the River Ewe. The road in the foreground is known as Riverside and beyond a certain point it becomes a private road, at least as far as vehicular access is concerned. This road leads to many attractive long walks details of which can be found in the many local guide books.
One particular I guide I will mention here is an excellent book entitled 'The River Ewe' by Kenneth C MacKenzie and this is of much interest to anglers and local historians alike. It has excellent maps of the River Ewe showing the names of the various fishing pools and beats and it also contains many old photographs of the River Ewe and its surroundings from bygone days. I intend to add a list of interesting local books to the Resources and Links section of this website and where they may be obtained, if still available.
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.
Creag Mhór Tollaidh; Gaelic; Creag, Rocks, crags, Mhór, big, Tollaidh, place of the holes. Thus, ‘big rocks at the place of the holes’.
Gairloch; Gaelic, village named after the loch of the same name, Loch Gairloch, An Gearr-loch, the short loch.
Inveran; In Gaelic it is Inbhirean, meaning the ‘little’ estuary where the waters of Loch Kernsary fall into the northern end of Loch Maree.
Poolewe; Gaelic Poll-iù, ‘the pool on the Ewe river’; Professor Watson states that the village was called by the natives in his time Abhainn Iù, Ewe River. He also said that Ewe, Gaelic iu, he had taken, with hesitation, from Irish eo, ‘Yew Tree’, but concedes that it may in fact be a Pictish name.
River Ewe; The River Ewe, Gaelic, Abhainn lu. Professor Watson said “that he had taken iu, with hesitation, from the Irish eo, yew tree ; the fact that Tobar na h-Iu in Nigg showed the article is practically decisive in favour of iu being there at least a Gaelic word. No Pictish name is accompanied by the Gaelic article. But the River Ewe may be a Pictish name from the same root, or from a totally different one.”
Tollie Crags; See Creag Mhór Tollaidh.
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