Loch Torridon

Loch Torridon is a sea loch on Scotland’s west coast in the Northwest Highlands. It stretches about 25 kilometres and has two main sections: the Upper Loch Torridon to the east and the wider main loch to the west. The name comes from the Gaelic Thoirbhearta, meaning a place where boats were dragged overland. Small inlets like Loch a' Chracaich and Loch Beag lie along its southern shores. The loch meets the Inner Sound between Red Point to the north and Rubha na Fearna to the south. The loch is surrounded by dramatic mountains over 910 metres high, including Liathach, Beinn Alligin and Beinn Eighe. These hills are made of ancient Torridonian sandstone topped with white Cambrian quartzite. Shieldaig Island, owned by the National Trust for Scotland since 1970, holds Scots pine possibly planted in the mid-19th century. Archaeologists found eight new Mesolithic sites along the shore, showing early human activity. Visitors find a working fishing area with prawn, shellfish and mussel farms. Langoustines are caught using creels baited with herring or prawns. The villages of Torridon, Shieldaig and Alligin Shuas sit near the loch’s edge, framed by the Torridon Hills. The loch’s clear waters and rugged shores offer quiet walks and views of the surrounding peaks.