Loch Hourn
Encyclopedia
Loch Hourn is a sea loch to the north of Knoydart, on the west coast of Scotland.

Geography

Loch Hourn runs inland from the Sound of Sleat
Sound of Sleat
The Sound of Sleat is a narrow sea channel off the western coast of Scotland. It divides the Sleat peninsula on the south-east side of the Isle of Skye from Morar, Knoydart and Glenelg on the Scottish mainland....

, opposite the island of Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...

, for 22 km (c. 14 miles) to the head of the loch at Kinloch Hourn
Kinloch Hourn
Kinloch Hourn is a small settlement at the end of Loch Hourn, in the West Highlands of Scotland. The name comes from the Gaelic, Ceann Loch Shubhairne, for "the head of Loch Hourn". Kinloch Hourn is at the end of of single-track road, which runs west from a junction with the A87 beside Loch...

. At the entrance, it is 5 km (3 miles) wide, becoming less than 2 km wide for much of its length, with successive narrows in the upper reaches and reducing to a 300-metre-wide basin at the head.

Sometimes described as the most fjord-like of the sea loch
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...

s of northwest Scotland, it is steep-sided, with Beinn Sgritheall
Beinn Sgritheall
Beinn Sgritheall is the highest mountain in the Glenelg area of the Highlands of Scotland. The main approach is via Arnisdale on the shores of Loch Hourn or via Gleann Beag to the north, with its well-known brochs...

 to the north and Ladhar Bheinn
Ladhar Bheinn
Ladhar Bheinn The mountain may be climbed from Barrisdale to the northeast or Inverie to the south. From Barrisdale the mountain may be climbed as part of circuit of Coire Dhorrcaill; this route involves a certain amount of scrambling, particularly on the section immediately north of the subsidiary...

 rising from the southern shore. The sea floor has been shaped by glaciation into five progressively deeper basins with relatively shallow sills; combined with the narrow and sheltered aspect of the loch and the high local rainfall, these result in an unusually wide variation of salinity and sea habitats over the length of the loch.

The loch is navigable by ships as far as Barisdale Bay. Small boats can reach Kinloch Hourn, but these upper reaches are dependent on tide and subject to strong currents. All of the loch is subject to fierce and erratic winds. There is no road access to most of the shoreline. Apart from a few isolated cottages, the only community is Arnisdale
Arnisdale
Arnisdale is a hamlet in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of Loch Hourn, around 10 miles down a single track road from Glenelg. It has a permanent population of around 30 and several holiday cottages...

, with a population of around 30. Kinloch Hourn is 36 km (22 miles) on single track road from the A87
A87 road
The A87 is a major road in the Highland region of Scotland.It runs west from its junction with the A82 road at Invergarry , along the north shores of Loch Garry and Loch Cluanie, then down through Glen Shiel and along Loch Duich to Kyle of Lochalsh before crossing the Skye Bridge to Kyleakin,...

 near Invergarry
Invergarry
Invergarry is a village in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Great Glen, near where the River Garry flows into Loch Oich.Near the centre of the village is the junction between the A82 road and the A87 road which branches off to the west towards Skye.The ruined Invergarry Castle is situated...

.

Local economy is small scale. There is a fish farm near the mouth of the loch; a few local shell fishing boats; a few jobs dependent on the surrounding shooting estates and some local income from tourism.

A small passenger ferry/excursion boat runs from Arnisdale
Arnisdale
Arnisdale is a hamlet in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of Loch Hourn, around 10 miles down a single track road from Glenelg. It has a permanent population of around 30 and several holiday cottages...

 to other parts of the loch, and provides access to the north shores of Knoydart.
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