Loch Alsh

Loch Alsh is a sea inlet between the Isle of Skye and the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name comes from the Gaelic Loch Aillse, meaning ‘loch of the cliff’. The surrounding country and former feudal lands share the same name. The area has a long history and attracts growing numbers of visitors. The loch runs inland for about twelve kilometres from Kyle of Lochalsh to Ardelve. From Ardelve, Loch Duich continues another ten kilometres to Shiel Bridge, while Loch Long winds deeper into the mountains. A narrow strait at the south end leads to the Sound of Sleat, which separates Skye from the mainland. The hills around the loch include Sgurr na Coinnich on Skye, which reaches 739 metres, and Auchtertyre Hill on the mainland at 452 metres. The land is mostly moorland and pasture, with pockets of native birchwoods and oakwoods. Ancient Precambrian gneiss rocks, some of the oldest in the world, form the hills. In 2012 a survey found a reef of over one hundred million flame shells covering seventy-five hectares in the loch. The reef became part of a Marine Protected Area in 2014 to safeguard the beds.