Glenuig
Encyclopedia
Glenuig is a small village in Moidart
, Lochaber
, Highland
, on the west coast of Scotland
. It is around 30 miles west of Fort William and 20 miles from Ardnamurchan Point
.
in remote west Lochaber
. Nowadays it is taken to include the neighbouring settlements of Samalaman and Alt Ruadh, and contains 21 houses in permanent occupation plus four holiday homes. In a wider sense it includes the nearby hamlets of Roshven
and Lochailort
, bringing the population over a distance of eight miles to just over fifty.
Access to Glenuig by public road was only made possible in 1966, and mains electricity arrived in 1983. A growing population of young people saw the revival of Glenuig Village Hall Committee in 1982, running the village hall situated in the old School Room. In 1993 the Hall Committee changed to become Glenuig Community Association.
of the glens for sheep and voluntary emigration from the harsher coastal regions to the new colonies, particularly Cape Breton
and America
.
Prior to 1966 access was by foot or horseback (from either Lochailort or Kinlochmoidart) or by boat. Since that year the area has been accessible by good modern roads, train or bus.
During the late 80s and early 90s Glenuig was home to the Glenuig Music Festival
, which was organised to raise funds for the Community Hall. The building of the community hall has been followed by many other small communities around Scotland. It has been home to the MacDonald brothers
, Scottish folk musicians.
The village hall is one of the most splendid on the west coast and a very popular venue for entertainment. There is regular traditional folk music, fiddlers, blues bands, opera and dance and a range of community activities ranging from yoga, playgroups and youth nights to the meetings of the Moidart Local History Group.
Glenuig Community Association (GCA) has been responsible for several initiatives in the area. Through determined fundraising, notably through the Glenuig Music Festival (1983–1993) the local community built the magnificent Glenuig Hall that is owned and managed by the GCA, and the Association is currently looking into the future of the village shop, hoping to build new premises and re-open the shop to be run as a Community Enterprise.
Moidart
Moidart is a district in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland.Moidart lies to the west of Fort William and is very remote. Loch Shiel cuts off the south-east boundary of the district. Moidart includes the townships of Dorlin, Mingarry, Kinlochmoidart and Glenuig. At Dorlin is located the ancient fortress...
, Lochaber
Lochaber
District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...
, Highland
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
, on the west coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is around 30 miles west of Fort William and 20 miles from Ardnamurchan Point
Ardnamurchan Point
Ardnamurchan Point is an isolated peninsula with a lighthouse in Highland, Scotland.-Location:Ardnamurchan Point lies at the western end of the Ardnamurchan peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is north of Corrachadh Mòr, the most westerly point on the island of Great Britain, which is...
.
Geography
Glenuig is a tiny community of just over thirty folk located in the parish of MoidartMoidart
Moidart is a district in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland.Moidart lies to the west of Fort William and is very remote. Loch Shiel cuts off the south-east boundary of the district. Moidart includes the townships of Dorlin, Mingarry, Kinlochmoidart and Glenuig. At Dorlin is located the ancient fortress...
in remote west Lochaber
Lochaber
District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...
. Nowadays it is taken to include the neighbouring settlements of Samalaman and Alt Ruadh, and contains 21 houses in permanent occupation plus four holiday homes. In a wider sense it includes the nearby hamlets of Roshven
Roshven
Roshven is an estate located on the coast between the Sound of Arisaig and Loch Ailort, in Lochaber, in the council area of Highland, Scotland. Towering above it is Rois-bheinn, the highest hill in the area.-History:...
and Lochailort
Lochailort
Lochailort is a hamlet in Scotland that lies at the head of Loch Ailort, a sea loch, on the junction of the Road to the Isles between Fort William and Mallaig with the A861 loop towards Salen and Strontian. It is served by Lochailort railway station on the West Highland Line...
, bringing the population over a distance of eight miles to just over fifty.
Access to Glenuig by public road was only made possible in 1966, and mains electricity arrived in 1983. A growing population of young people saw the revival of Glenuig Village Hall Committee in 1982, running the village hall situated in the old School Room. In 1993 the Hall Committee changed to become Glenuig Community Association.
History
The area has been inhabited for thousands of years and the traces of these earlier residents are everywhere around. The coastal regions here are wild and rocky, but because of the warmer climate within the last two thousand years the inland areas were productive and heavily populated. In the last two hundred years, the population declined through enforced clearancesHighland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
of the glens for sheep and voluntary emigration from the harsher coastal regions to the new colonies, particularly Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Prior to 1966 access was by foot or horseback (from either Lochailort or Kinlochmoidart) or by boat. Since that year the area has been accessible by good modern roads, train or bus.
Facilities
Nowadays Glenuig is a thriving and friendly community. Occupations include fishing, crofting, building, craftwork and IT, and of course catering for the many visitors to the area. The community has a tiny but busy shop and post office and a variety of accommodation choices in Glenuig, Kinlochmoidart, Roshven and Lochailort.During the late 80s and early 90s Glenuig was home to the Glenuig Music Festival
Glenuig Music Festival
The Glenuig Music Festival was a yearly traditional music festival that ran in the village of Glenuig on the west coast of Scotland....
, which was organised to raise funds for the Community Hall. The building of the community hall has been followed by many other small communities around Scotland. It has been home to the MacDonald brothers
MacDonald brothers
The MacDonald Brothers are pipers and folk musicians from Scotland. They are notable for their playing, most notably for their piping.The three brothers, Allan, Iain and Angus grew up in Glenuig, a small Gaelic speaking community in the west Highlands of Scotland...
, Scottish folk musicians.
The village hall is one of the most splendid on the west coast and a very popular venue for entertainment. There is regular traditional folk music, fiddlers, blues bands, opera and dance and a range of community activities ranging from yoga, playgroups and youth nights to the meetings of the Moidart Local History Group.
Glenuig Community Association (GCA) has been responsible for several initiatives in the area. Through determined fundraising, notably through the Glenuig Music Festival (1983–1993) the local community built the magnificent Glenuig Hall that is owned and managed by the GCA, and the Association is currently looking into the future of the village shop, hoping to build new premises and re-open the shop to be run as a Community Enterprise.