Applecross(Scottish Gaelic:A' Chomraich[əˈxoməriç],'The Sanctuary'[1]Obar Crosain) is a peninsula inWester Ross,in theScottish Highlands.[2]It is bounded byLoch Kishornto the south,Loch Torridonto the north, and Glen Shieldaig to the east. On its western side isApplecross Bayand theInner Sound.The peninsula is mountainous, sparsely populated, and linked to the mainland by two small roads. The formerCeltic Churchmonastery of Applecross was established by SaintMáel Ruba,a missionary fromBangor AbbeyinGaelic Ireland,during the 7th century; asculptured stoneis all that remains.[3]
Applecross
| |
|---|---|
 View acrossLoch Kishornto the Applecross peninsula | |
  Applecross Location within theRoss and Cromartyarea | |
| Population | 544 |
| OS grid reference | NG714444 |
| Council area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STRATHCARRON |
| Postcode district | IV54 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Geography
edit
Extremely isolated, Applecross was accessible only by boat until the early 19th century, and for many years after that the only road access was over one of Scotland's most notoriously treacherous roads, theBealach na Ba('Pass of the Cattle'), which crosses the peninsula and reaches a maximum height of 626 m (2,054 ft), below the 792 m (2,598 ft) highSgùrr a' Chaorachain.In 1975 the settlement was connected via a winding coastal road which travels around the edge of the peninsula to Shieldaig and Torridon. The road skirts the shore of the Inner Sound andLoch Torridon.
This row of houses which is marked as 'Applecross' on some maps, is actually called 'Shore Street' and is referred to locally just as 'The Street'. The name Applecross applies to the whole peninsula, including the settlements ofToscaig,Culduie,CamusterrachandSand.Applecross is also the name of the localestateand thecivil parish,which includesShieldaigandTorridon,and has a population of 544.[4]The smallRiver Applecross(Scottish Gaelic:Abhainn Crosain) flows into the bay at Applecross.
History
edit
Applecross's name is ananglicisationof thePictishnameAporcrosan,'confluence of the [river] Crossan' (Obar Crosainin modern Gaelic). The name is derived from thePictishaber-andScottish Gaeliccros.[5]
Applecross is linked with SaintMáel Ruba,who came to Scotland in 671 from the majorCeltic Churchmonastery ofBangor AbbeyinGaelic Ireland.He foundedAporcrosanin 672 in what was thenPictishterritory, and was the monastery's first abbot, dying on 21 April 722 in his eightieth year. The deaths of several of his successors as abbot are recorded in theIrish Annalsinto the early ninth century. The early monastery was located around the site of the laterChurch of Scotland parishchurch (present building erected 1817). A large, unfinished cross-slab standing in the churchyard and three extremely finely carved fragments of another preserved within the church are evidence of the early monastery. The surrounding district is known asA’ Chomraich'the sanctuary' in Gaelic. Its boundaries were once marked byhigh crosses.The stub of one, destroyed in 1870, survives among farm buildings at Camusterrach.
During theScottish Reformationin the second half of the 16th century, the lands of Applecross weresecularisedand granted c.1591 toClan Mackenzie.[6]The estate was eventually inherited by Alexander Mackenzie (died 1650), anillegitimate sonofColin Cam Mackenzie of Kintail.With a brief interruption between 1715 and 1724 (a period of forfeiture caused by theLairdof Applecross' role in the1715 Uprising), the estate remained in the ownership of Alexander Mackenzie's heirs until the mid-19th century, when the lands were sold to theDuke of Leeds.[7]
In the early 1860s, the estate was sold toLord Middleton.[8]Following the death of the 10th Baron Middleton in 1924, the estate was sold to theWills family.
The estate is now owned by the Applecross Trust, a registered Scottish charity with the declared aim of preserving "the special character of the Applecross peninsula in a responsible and progressive manner whilst acknowledging its wilderness heritage and its importance as an area of outstanding natural beauty".[9]The Applecross Trust is overseen by a board of seven people and chaired by Rodger Harvey-Jamieson.[10]
Wildlife
editMany native Scottish animals can be found in Applecross, including mammals such asred deer,pine martens,otters,water voles,blue hare,foxes,a rarewildcat,andpipistrelleandDaubenton's batsas well as birds such astawnyandbarn owls,white tailedandgolden eagles,great skua,arctic tern,great spotted woodpeckers,song thrush,bullfinches,golden plover,skylark,merlin,greenshank,dunlin,redand, occasionally, the rarerblack grouse,dotterel,androck ptarmigan.In terms of marine life there arecommon sealsnear the shore, as well asbasking sharks,minke whales,porpoises,andbottlenose dolphins.Adderscan also be found here.[11]
Economy
editIn July 2010, at a cost of £40,000, the UK's first unmanned petrol station was opened. It uses a credit card reader to enable customers to serve themselves.[12]The business was taken over by Applecross Community Company in 2008 in response to its possible closure. The only alternative involves a 36-mile (58 km) round trip toLochcarron.[13]
Tourism
edit
Recently Applecross has experienced an increase in tourism for those looking for a place to hike, kayak, fish, and cycle. The North Coast 500 tourist route crosses the Bealach na Bà pass and goes through Applecross along the coastal road.[14]
Media and the arts
editApplecross appeared as Laxdale in the 1953 filmLaxdale Hall,in which the community protests against the poor condition of the access road by withholding theirRoad Tax.
On television, Applecross appeared as Carnochie in the "Upstairs Downstairs"episode" Will Ye No Come Back Again? "(1975). It later featured inMonty Halls' Great Escape(2009) and an edition ofChannel 4'sTime Team(series 13, episode 13) when abroch(hollow-walled structure) was excavated.[15]
It is mentioned in the writings ofMargaret Leigh;particularly in 'Driftwood and Tangle'. It is also the setting forGraeme Macrae Burnet's 2015 novelHis Bloody Projectwhich was nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2016. It also was the main setting of the "Enchanted Emporium" series by Pierdomenico Baccalario.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Bealach Na Ba No 2 (773 metres asl) 1981–2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) |
1.2 (34.2) |
2.2 (36.0) |
3.6 (38.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
9.1 (48.4) |
10.5 (50.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
8.7 (47.7) |
6.0 (42.8) |
3.5 (38.3) |
2.3 (36.1) |
5.5 (41.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.1 (28.2) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
2.1 (35.8) |
4.7 (40.5) |
6.6 (43.9) |
6.7 (44.1) |
5.1 (41.2) |
2.9 (37.2) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
1.7 (35.1) |
| Source: metoffice.gov.uk[16] | |||||||||||||
References
edit- ^"Applecross / A' Chomraich".Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba.
- ^AA Book of British Villages.Drive Publications Limited. 1980. p. 24.ISBN9780340254875.
- ^Jack, May Violet; Blair, John Livington (1968).Chamber's guide to Scotland.Chambers. p. 17.
- ^General Register Office for Scotland:Census 2001: Usual Resident Population: Applecross Civil ParishArchived7 March 2012 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 18 November 2009
- ^Field, John (1980).Place-names of Great Britain and Ireland.Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. p. 24.ISBN0389201545.OCLC6964610.
- ^Sir James Balfour Paul,The Scots Peerage;Volume 7 (1910);Mackenzie, Earl of Seaforth
- ^Alexander Mackenzie,History of the Mackenzies(2nd edition, Inverness, A. & W. Mackenzie, 1894) at pages 595–603
- ^In 1862, according to the National Archives Catalogue,The Family and Estate Papers of the Willoughby Family(web-site accessed on 28 June 2010); in 1864, according to the Applecross Historical Society'sweb-site(accessed on 28 June 2010).
- ^Charitiesdirect,The Applecross TrustArchived27 September 2011 at theWayback Machine(web-site accessed on 28 June 2010)
- ^"The Applecross Trust".applecross.org.uk.Retrieved4 April2024.
- ^"About Applecross – Visit Applecross".Retrieved7 December2020.
- ^"Unmanned filling station set to open". (22 July 2010)The Herald.
- ^"Applecross petrol station is social success"Press and Journal.Retrieved 22 July 2010.
- ^"North Coast 500 - The ultimate road trip around the North of Scotland".North Coast 500.Retrieved7 December2020.
- ^"The 2,000 Year Old Tower Buried in The Highlands | Time Team | Odyssey"YouTube.Retrieved 15 August 2022.
- ^"Climate Normals 1981–2010".Met Office.Retrieved23 February2021.