Loch Shiel

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Shiel, Loch, a lake on the boundary between the district of Moidart in Inverness-shire and the district of Ardgour in Argyllshire. Commencing at the foot of Glenfinnan, it extends 11½ miles south-westward and 6 west-by-southward, is nowhere more than 1 mile broad, and from its foot sends off the river Shiel 3 miles north-westward to salt-water Loch Moidart. The mountains which flank it have a maximum height of 2915 feet, and go off in diverging chains. They present a remarkable variety of outline and most magnificent groupings of their masses. The fishing is excellent, salmon, grilse, sea-trout, and brown trout being both fine and numerous. In Glenmoidart House is the old canoe (an oak trunk hollowed out by axe and fire) in which Prince Charles Edward was towed by his followers across Loch Shiel. They sunk it near St Finnan's Isle, and there it lay till 1855 (see Finnan). On 15 Sept. 1873 the Queen drove from Inverlochy to ` Loch Shiel, a fresh-water loch, with fine very high rugged hills on either side.. As we suddenly came upon Loch Shiel from the narrow glen, lit up by bright sunshine, with the fine long loch and the rugged mountains, which are about 3000 feet high, rising all around, no habitation or building to be seen except the house of Glenaladale, which used to be an inn, and a large picturesque Catholic church, reminding one, from its elevated position to the right and above the house, of churches and convents abroad, I thought I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot, or one which told its history so well. What a scene it must have been in 1745! And here was I, the descendant of the Stuarts and of the very king whom Prince Charles sought to overthrow, sitting and walking about quite privately and peaceably ' (More Leaves from the Journal of a Life in the Highlands, 1884).

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer