LOCHBROOM, a parish, in the county of Ross-and-Cromarty,
45 miles (N. W. by W.) from Dingwall;
containing, with the former quoad sacra parish of Ullapool,
4799 inhabitants. This place derives its name
from two considerable inlets, by which it is intersected
for some miles towards the east, and of which the larger
is situated in the north, and the smaller, or Little Loch
Broom, in the southern portion of the parish. It is
bounded on the west by the channel of the Minch, separating
it from the island of Lewis. The parish is from
forty to fifty miles in length, and from twenty to thirty
miles in extreme breadth; but owing to the numerous
indentations of its coast, and the irregularity of the surface,
its extent has not been correctly ascertained. It is
divided into a number of promontories by lochs or inlets
from the sea, and in the interior the surface rises into
mountainous heights of considerable elevation, between
which are some rich and fertile valleys. The principal
mountains are, Stac, Cumhill-Mhor, and Big Rock, to
the north; Ben-Deirg to the east; Fannich in the southeast;
and those of Strath-na-Sealg on the south-west.
Among the chief valleys are Strathceannard and Rhidorch,
in the barony of Coigach, the former watered by
the river Ceannard, and the latter by the small river
Ceannchruinn, which issues from the inland Loch Achall,
and runs into the bay of Ullapool. The larger and
smaller valleys of Loctibroom are watered respectively
by the rapid river Broom and the Little Broom, which
receive in their course various mountain streams. The
valley of the Laigh is watered by the Meikle, which issues
from Loch-na-Sealg, and by the small river Greenyard,
which forms part of the southern boundary of the parish.
All these streams abound with salmon, grilse, trout, and
other kinds of fish. The chief inland lakes are, Loch
Achall, beautifully situated in a richly-wooded vale; and
Loch-na-Sealg, a fine sheet of water more than seven
miles in length and a mile hroad, whose shores are
marked with features of picturesque character. The
coast is bold and precipitously rocky, rising into promontories
of considerable elevation; the most conspicuous
are those of Mhor, Riff, Dunan, Duard, Ardchaduill,
Handerick, and Stadaig. Off the coast are several
islands: the principal are, Tanara containing ninety-nine,
Martin forty-five, and Ristal nineteen, inhabitants; and
the Summer islands, which, though uninhabited, afford
excellent facilities for wintering young cattle.
The SOIL in the valleys is generally fertile; but, except
on the lands of Dundonnell, which have been greatly
improved during the present century by their proprietors,
little progress has been made in husbandry. Only a
comparatively small portion of the land is under cultivation,
and the quantity of grain raised in the parish is
far from being adequate to the supply of the inhabitants.
The principal attention is devoted to cattle and sheep,
for which the hills afford good pasture, and of which
some thousands are annually reared. The cattle are of
the West Highland breed, and are of small stature; the
sheep, originally of the native breed, were fifty years
since superseded by the black-faced, and these are in
their turn giving way to the introduction of the Cheviot
breed. But comparatively small remains exist of the
ancient woods with which the parish abounded. There
are plantations on the demesne of Dundonnell and a few
other spots, consisting of some fine specimens of oak,
ash, birch, geen, mountain-ash, and bird-cherry, with
thriving plantations of fir. The principal substrata are
old red sandstone, quartz, and gneiss, with veins of
granite: limestone is also found, but from the difficulties
of the ground and the scarcity of fuel, it is little used.
Dundonnell, the seat of Hugh Mc Kenzie, Esq., of
Ardross, is a handsome mansion, beautifully situated
near the romantic glen of Strathbeg, in grounds tastefully
laid out in shrubberies and plantations by the late
proprietor. The only village is Ullapool, which is described
under its own head. There are various fishing
stations; and during the season large shoals of herrings
frequent the bay of Loch Broom, and other bays in the
parish. The herrings are partly sent to Dingwall, but
great numbers are sold for curing to the agent of Mr.
Methuen, who is stationed at the isle of Ristal. Numerous
boats are engaged in this fishery, and find good
anchorage in the several bays, of which that of Loch
Broom affords safe shelter for vessels of the largest
burthen: at the isle of Tanara, also, is an excellent
harbour. Facility of communication is afforded by a
road from Dingwall to Ullapool, which passes through
the valley of Loch Broom; but it is not at present in
good repair.
For ECCLESIASTICAL purposcs the parish is within the
bounds of the presbytery of Lochcarron and synod of
Glenelg. The minister's stipend is £298. 10. 9-, with a
manse and glebe; patron, the Marchioness of Stafford.
The church, situated at the head of Loch Broom, was
built in 1844-5; it is a neat structure containing from
700 to 800 sittings. A church ha.s been erected by
jjarliamcntary grant in the village of Ullapool, and the
members of the Free Church have a place of worship.
The parochial school is well conducted, and affords instruction
to about fifty children both in (iaelic and
English; the master has a salary of £34, with a house
and garden, and the fees average £6 per annum. There
are also two schools supported by the General Assembly;
four by the Gaelic Society of Edinburgh, who allow the
masters a salary of £20 each; and a female school;
together affording instruction to about .500 children.
Norman Mc Leod and Murdoch Mc Leod, both Highland
poets of some eminence, were natives of this parish.
The Rev. James Robertson, minister of Lochbroom in
1/45, a man of gigantic strength, and remarkable for his
stedfast loyalty, obtained, by his intercession with the
government, the pardon of several of his parishioners
who had taken part in the rebellion of that time.