Loch Kishorn

Loch Kishorn is a sea inlet in the north-west Highlands, branching off Loch Carron. It stretches four kilometres long and up to 1.5 kilometres wide, with depths reaching ninety-two metres. The loch is fed by two rivers and bordered by the Applecross peninsula on one side and a headland on the other. Its mouth is marked by the Garra Islands, the largest being Kishorn Island. Several small settlements line the shore, including Sanachan, Tornapress and Achintraid. The loch became known in the 1970s when a major fabrication yard was built at Kishorn Yard. Over three thousand workers arrived to construct the 600,000-tonne Ninian Central Platform, the largest movable object of its time. The yard was designed as a self-contained village, with all deliveries arriving by sea to protect the surrounding landscape. After the oil platform era ended, the dry dock later built bridge footings for the Skye Bridge and now supports fish farming, forestry and ferry terminal supplies. Visitors find whitewashed cottages at Achintraid, built after the Highland Clearances. The lochside at Ardarroch has a small shingle beach, while Rhunasoul offers wide views of the Applecross hills. The A896 road passes through Sanachan, where a Scottish Episcopal chapel stands. Nearby, the Bealach na Bà pass leads over the mountains, and two small hills rise east of Kishorn. The site of the old yard still shows signs of its industrial past and ongoing renewal.