Loch Gairloch is a

sea loch ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch. In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spelling ...

on the North West coast of

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. In

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

it is ''an Geàrr Loch'' meaning 'the short loch'. Around long by wide, it leads west to the

Little Minch The Minch ( gd, An Cuan Sgitheanach, ', ', '), also called North Minch, is a strait in north-west Scotland, separating the north-west Highlands and the northern Inner Hebrides from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It was known as ("Scot ...

. The B8021 and B8056 run around its northern and southern shores respectively, connecting the villages of

Gairloch Gairloch ( ; gd, Geàrrloch , meaning "Short Loch") is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross, in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. A tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a go ...

, Charlestown, Kerrysdale, Shieldaig,

Badachro Badachro () is a former fishing village, in the north west Highlands of Scotland. Geography Badachro sits about 3 km south of Gairloch on the shore of Gair Loch, and is a natural harbour popular with yachts. Approximately 2 miles to the SE ...

, and

Port Henderson Port Henderson ( gd, Portaigil) is a fishing village on the south west shore of the Gair Loch near the village of Gairloch, Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of hi ...

Longa Island Longa Island (Gaelic: ''Longa'') is a small uninhabited island at the mouth of Loch Gairloch, on the west coast of Scotland. Longa is nearly in length with an area of and a maximum elevation of above sea level. Geology The island is mainl ...

lies at the loch's entrance. The Loch has a number of small islands in it,

Eilean Horrisdale Eilean Horrisdale is an uninhabited island in Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross, Scotland. Geography Eilean Horrisdale is the largest island in Loch Gairloch. In front is the smaller, Eilean Tioram (dry island), which is connected to the mainland by ...

supported a fishing community in the 19th century.

External links

Photographs of Loch Gairloch

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