APPLECROSS, a parish, in the county of Ross and
Cromarty, 18 miles (W.) from Lochcarron; containing,
with the island of Crohn, and part of Shieldag quoad
sacra district, 286 1 inhabitants. It was originally called
Comaraich (a Gaelic word signifying protection) on
account of the refuge afforded to the oppressed and to
criminals, by a religious establishment that existed here
in ancient times. The present name is of modern date,
having been given to the place by the proprietor of the
estate upon its erection into a parish, at which time five
apple-trees were planted cross-ways in his garden. This
parish, which formed part of that of Lochcarron till 1*26,
stretches along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, and is
distributed into the three large portions or districts of
Applecross, properly so called; Lochs, consisting of
Torridon, Shieldag, &c.; and Kishorn. It is of irregular
form, twenty miles long, and as many miles in breadth,
containing about 1800 acres cultivated or occasionally in
tillage, about 400 acres in wood, and 400 or 500 waste,
besides an immense tract of pasture in a natural state.
The surface, in its general appearance, is hilly and rugged,
consisting of rocky elevations covered with heather
and wild grass; and the climate, though not unhealthy,
is foggy, and very rainy.
The soil is light and gravelly, and produces good crops
of oats, barley, and potatoes; the two former are grown
to the value of £3000 annually, and potatoes and turnips
yield about £1500. The farms are of small extent,
averaging in rent not more than £6 or £7 each. There
are very few inclosures, and though some advances have
been made in the draining and improvement of land, the
agricultural state is low, the parish being compelled frequently
to import grain and potatoes for home consumption.
The annual value of real property in the parish is
£2488. The rocks consist of red sandstone, gneiss, and
quartz; at Applecross and Kishorn are found large
quantities of limestone, and at the latter place is also a
copper-mine, which, when worked some time since, produced
a fine rich ore. The only mansion of note is on
the estate of Applecross; it is a large ancient building,
with some elegant modern additions, and surrounded by
about thirty acres of thriving plantation. At Poldown,
Shieldag, and Torridon are convenient harbours, to
which there belong about twenty-one vessels of from
twenty to fifty tons' burthen each, employed in the fishing
and coasting trade. Most of the population are in
some way engaged in the herring-fishery, which in certain
seasons is very profitable; and at Torridon and
Balgie are salmon-fisheries that let at £15 or £16.
Ecclesiastically the parish is in the presbytery of
Lochcarron and synod of Glenelg: the Crown is patron;
the minister's stipend is £158. 6. 5., partly paid from
the exchequer, and there is a manse, built in 1796, with
a glebe valued at £12 per annum. The parochial church,
which was erected in 1817, is in good repair, and accommodates
600 persons. At Shieldag, twelve miles
distant, is a government church, built in 1827. There
is a parochial school, the master of w-hich has a salary
of £27, with about £8 fees, and teaches the classics,
mathematics, Gaelic, and the ordinary branches of education.
Four schools are supported by societies for promoting
education. Many fossils have been found.