Loch Cluanie

Loch Cluanie lies in the Northwest Highlands at the south-east end of Glen Shiel, a long ribbon of dark water held back by the Cluanie Dam. Built in 1957 by Mitchell Construction for the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, the dam feeds water from Loch Loyne and the River Moriston into its reservoir. The A87 road runs along the northern shore, while the hamlet of Cluanie sits on the western bank with a car park, an inn, and two holiday homes. The Cluanie Inn doubles as a weather station and the starting point for several hill walks, including routes to nearby Munros. Private Cluanie Lodge stands at the south-west corner, recently renovated to become the owner’s main home. The lochside vegetation shelters small birds such as willow warblers and wrens. In 2021 a Scotland Charity Air Ambulance landed west of the dam to help a walker injured on the rocks. The dam’s western slopes drop steeply to the water, while the eastern shore rises gently toward Glen Shiel. Visitors find open moorland, quiet paths, and wide views across the loch to the Five Sisters of Kintail. The roadside offers easy access for short strolls or longer climbs into the hills.