Loch Eriboll is located in one of Scotland's wildest and most isolated regions, often windswept. Over its 10-mile length, it offers several good anchorages and a number of walks in a grandiose setting.
A very isolated situation
Loch Eriboll lies between Kyle of Durness and Kyle of Tongue in Sutherland, in the far north of Scotland. Its name comes from the Norse word for Farm on a beach ". But don't look for sandy beaches. During the Second World War, the loch was nicknamed the "Loch of the Sea" Lock 'orrible in fact, it was called the "mountain of the future" by the British soldiers stationed there, because of the bad weather. Yet it offers splendid panoramic views.
All that remains on its banks are a few isolated houses, and fish farms close to the shore. There are no services for passing boats.
Ard Neackie anchorages
The loch, however, offers shelter from the sometimes violent local winds. On its eastern coast, Ard Neackie is a peninsula that forms two attractive anchorages, one to the north and the other to the south of its isthmus. There may be a few buoys in these anchorages, but there's usually plenty of room for boats.
The island was exploited in the 19th century for lime production. Remains of the quarry and lime kilns can still be seen. There's also a small wharf that served as the terminus of the Heilam Ferry, which crossed the loch until the 1890s when the road was completed. The ferry house is still standing, though increasingly abandoned.
Mooring at the bottom of the loch
To shelter from the northerly swell, boats can anchor at the southern end of the loch. The thick silt bottom offers excellent holding, despite a few pebbles at the bottom. To get there, you need to be careful, as what look like bits of some old chests, having lost their buoys, are still floating in the middle of the loch.
At high tide, you can dinghy back to the road via the river. Nearby, an easily accessible hiking trail leads to a mountain hut, where you can take shelter and build a fire. A change of scenery is guaranteed as you gaze at Cranstackie and Beinn Spionnaidh, two peaks that rise to the south-west of the loch.
