Kinlochewe and Loch Maree History
As can be appreciated the village has been in existence for many centuries thus rendering it almost impossible to give a full history, we will however try to point you in the right direction with bibliography and local anecdotes.
Kinlochewe is situated at the joining of three distinct glens; Glen Torridon, Glen Docherty and Glen Cruaidh Choillie (Heights of Kinlochewe), it is bordered to the west by the Loch Maree Basin .
There are Bronze age burial cists in the area. In 1898 at Bruachaig, to the east of the village one such cist was uncovered by a plough boy , some of the contents are preserved in Gairloch Heritage Museum (Neolithic Stone Ball) and the Scottish National Museum in Edinburgh (Bruachaig Cup).
Are there more such artefacts in the area ?, only time, perseverance and a bit of luck will tell. With strong evidence of Bronze age activity in the area it is inevitable that some form of habitation (Bronze age settlement ?) will eventually be revealed.
Circa 1607;
It is difficult to imagine that the shores of Loch Maree were once a centre of the early Iron industry in Scotland and may indeed have been the birthplace of Scotland 's Iron and Steel industry. Records suggest that in 1607 Sir George Hay set up his first bloomery (furnace) at Letterewe where a colony of Englishmen made "iron and cast great guns" for some sixty years. Evidence of further bloomeries can be found at the east end of Loch Maree at Fasaigh, this site was extensively excavated in 1995 by a group of archaeologists from Glasgow University . Significant finds were made and recorded by the group.
Circa 1772;
Thomas Pennant gives mention of the area in his book, "A Tour of Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides" of 1772. He wrote under date 1st August 1772 having arrived at Incheril; "The night proved wet and tempestuous ; we therefore determined to defer the voyage till next day; and to shelter ourselves in a whisky house, the inn of the place. Mr Mackenzie complimented Mr Lightfoot and me with the bedstead, well covered with a warm litter of heath; we lay in our cloaths, wrapped ourselves in plaids and enjoyed a good repose".
James Hogg "The Ettrick Shepherd" also gives mention to a hostelry in his memoirs of his travels of the Highlands in 1803,this Inn was located at Incheril on the north side of the Kinlochewe river, it was known as Kenlochewe Inn (Kenlochewe being old spelling). The Kenlochewe Inn was a stop off point for travellers to the west coast and the Western Isles from the port of Poolewe via Loch Maree's northern shore, the southern road to Gairloch became the main thoroughfare when the Mackenzie hotels were built around 1870.
Circa 1870;
Achnasheen hotel, which was burnt out in February 1994, was located on the railway station and built by the Mackenzies as a railhead coaching station servicing the areas to the west. Other establishments such as the hotel at Kinlochewe and Loch Maree Hotel were built around the 1870's, significantly these were located 10 miles apart, (a comfortable day's coach trip) thus forming a chain of relay stations from the newly constructed railhead at Achnasheen. The stable and coach house are still in existence at Loch Maree these are nowadays used as a garage and storage area for the hotel. Ledgowan Lodge Hotel is still an excellent dining and eating establishment boasting some of the best food in the area.
Achnasheen Hotel Hotel February 1994 Hotel site now cleared
Loch Maree Hotel was built in 1872 . In 1877 Queen Victoria chose to stay at the hotel for six nights , a large stone commemorating the visit was inscribed and remains at the front of the hotel to this day. The Queen in her " Gracious Condescension willed that this stone should be a remembrancer of the pleasure she found in coming to this part of Ross-Shire".
Hotel 2004
Translation of inscription Gaelic inscription
Churches and Religion
This is a more complex subject than can be imagined, we will however try to give as accurately as possible an insight.
Circa 641
Christianity arrived in the area courtesy of one St Mealrubha , he established a cell on Isle Maree on Loch Maree . This island prior to his arrival had a wide and varied occupancy, there are remains of a Druid Circle and graves of a Viking Prince and Princess interspersed with several more recent graves. Legend has it that when the Prince was returning from one of his forays the Princess as a bit of a prank raised a black flag on her longboat indicating that she had died, her prince on seeing this flag assumed the worst and took his own life, in her grief the Princess stabbed herself to death, both were buried side by side on Isle Maree, the graves remain untouched to this day. It is deemed to be very unlucky to remove anything from the island, SNH who are the guardians of the island continue this practice.