Loch Tollaidh

Loch Tollaidh is a freshwater loch in Wester Ross, Highland. It lies beside the A832 road in a wide stretch of moorland about 2.3 kilometres southwest of Poolewe village. The name comes from the Gaelic word toll, meaning a hollow or hole, so it is the Loch of the Hollow. The bedrock beneath the water is Lewisian gneiss, a very old rock. On the southern shore there are several good bouldering crags for climbers. A few small islands float on the surface, the largest once held a crannog. The loch has a history tied to clans and castles. Early 20th-century records mention a stone ‘castle’ on the biggest island, first held by Clan MacBeth and later by Clan MacLeod. It was abandoned in 1480. Stone causeways under the water show how people once moved across the loch. From the late 1980s until the late 2010s a small salmon farm operated here. Visitors find a quiet moorland setting beside the road. The islands and rocky shoreline give the loch a wild look. Climbers use the southern crags for practice. The remains of the old causeways lie hidden beneath the surface. The water reflects the surrounding hills and heather. It is a place where history and nature meet without crowds.