Clachtoll Beach and Broch

Clachtoll is only about 2 miles from us - if you come from the south you will go through it on the way to Clashnessie. You can park your car in the little car park near the beach (there are loos and a ranger hut too). A two minute board-walk gets you onto the beach. It tends to be busier than Clashnessie Beach which is nice since it keeps the crowds away from us!

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It's a lovely beach for sandcastles and for swimming and kayaking. Clashnessie beach is a little more exposed to waves but that doesn't stop people swimming and kayaking here too!

There is an old Salmon bothy close to the beach which is worth a visit. This possibly dates back to around 1830. There is written evidence that the bothy was occupied when the 1851 census was taken when it was recorded that a family of fishermen from Banff were living in the bothy. In the 1881 census there were two salmon fishermen from Aberdeen and two local fishermen living in the bothy. Just round the corner from the bothy is the old ice house which you can take a peek into.

From there you can take a rather nice walk to Clachtoll Broch - it will take you about 15 minutes. It's a nice walk close to the sea (if you have kiddies then be very careful since there are a couple of places they shouldn't be on their own). This lies on a rocky outcrop - or should I say 'is' the rocky outcrop which you can also see coming round the corner on the road from Stoer.

Possibly the best kept part of the Broch is the triangular lintel from the entrance passage.

If you climb up onto the Broch you will see that it has fallen in on itself and is full of stones so I don't suppose it has ever been excavated.  Walk around the top and there are odd bits to remind one that this was once a defensive wall.

On your walk to and from the Broch you will see a line of what looks like sand stones which are thought to be Bronze Age (around 2100 to 700 BC).		Also, on your way back you may also see the memorial stone to the Rev Norman MacLeod. This is quite close to the Salmon Broch which contains some history of this amazing man.
Potted history of Rev Norman MacLeod. Norman was born at Port na Chreadhaich, Clachtoll on 29th September 1780, this was in the aftermath of the Clearances. When the Rev John Kennedy came to Assynt in 1806 as an assistant to the local Rev MacKenzie (who seemed not to care about his flock) he influenced Norman sufficiently that he decided to study for the ministry. Taking a degree at Aberdeen University he then went on to study theology at Edinburgh. He was not a man to sit on the fence and his style gave him a large following. The authorities did not take to him and in 1817 he set sail for Pictou in Nova Scotia. It seems some of his flock followed him there. A few years later he and followers settled at St Ann's and in time his ministry grew. One of his sons left for Australia and in 1851 and Norman and friends and family set sail for Adelaide. It was not what he expected and in 1853 he settled in Waipu in New Zealand. A total of 6 ships with 800 people arrived from Nova Scotia.  He died on 14 March 1866. There are strong links with Nova Scotia in many parts of Scotland, not least with Assynt and Lochbroom.

The cleft in the rock can be seen from some distance.

Kayakers enjoying the sunshine