Loch Hourn

Loch Hourn (Loch Shubhairne in gaelic) is sometimes described as the most fjord-like of the sea lochs of northwest Scotland, running inland from the Sound of Sleat for 22 kilometres (14 miles).

It is navigable by ships as far as Barisdale Bay, and by small boats to the head of the loch at Kinloch Hourn, but these upper reaches are dependent on tide and subject to strong currents and fierce and erratic winds; it is essential to consult a pilot book.

The sea floor has been shaped by glaciation into five progressively deeper basins with relatively shallow cills; combined with the narrow and sheltered aspect of the loch and the high local rainfall, these result in an unusually wide variation of salinity and sea habitats over the length of the loch.

Apart from a few isolated cottages, the only community is Arnisdale, with a population of around 30. There is no road access to most of the shoreline.

Local economy is smallscale. There is a fishfarm situated near the mouth of the loch; a few local shellfishing boats; a few jobs dependent on the surrounding shooting estates and some local income from tourism lets and services, including a small passenger ferry/excursion boat which runs from Arnisdale to other parts of the loch, and provides access to the North shores of Knoydart.