Eddrachillis Place Names

Eddrachillis once formed part of the parish of Durness. It was erected into a separate parish in 1724 when Kinlochbervie district was added to ancient Eddrachilis, eadar-da-chaolas, between two Kyles, Kyles Sku and Laxford.

Here, with the help of Hector Macrae, Bonar Bridge, Sutherland, I have put together a list of the place names, old and modern.

Hector has kindly created a map with a numbered list of the main places which you can see below. If you would like a much larger copy go to our map section HERE. Right click on the full size version of the map and save to your computer.

The places shown on the map by number have the corresponding number in brackets after the details on the list below.

If anyone can add information to this list especially the last known date people actually lived in these places please contact me and I will be happy to add the information.

The Places:

ACHFARY – small village in Reay forest between Loch Stack and Loch More (22)
ACHLIGHNESS – Gaelic, wet field – this may be Achlyness
ACHLYNESS – small crofting community south of Rhiconich (15)
ACHRIESGILL – Gaelic, field in ravine, Norse, copse wood – crofting township between Rhiconich and Kinlochbervie (13)
ARDMORE – close to Rhiconich – from Portlevorchy you have to walk the mile to Ardmore as there is no road – on the opposite bank to Fangomore at end of Loch Laxford (19)
ARDCHUILLINN - Near Achfary
AULTANRYNIE (Aultanrunie) – at the east end of Loch More, near Kinloch
AULDRING – 1 tenant there in 1819 (Wm. Munro of Achany) Part of this was added to McIvers Scouriebeg Farm. Between Laxford and Loch Stack
BADCALL (Badcaul) – Gaelic, clump wood – minister Alex. Falconer, there in 1819
BADCALL INCHARD – crofting township between Rhiconich and Kinlochbervie (10)
BADNABAY (24)
BALCHRICK – small crofting settlement north of Oldshoremore (3)
BLAIRMORE – small crofting settlement north of Oldshoremore (5)
DROMAN – near Balchrick (4)
DRUMNAGUIE – next township to Polin (7)
DUARTBEG (Duardbeg) – 1 small tenant there in 1819 (35)
DUARTMORE (Duardmore) – 1 tenant there in 1819 Used to be a village of 6 or 7 houses. Cleared between 1910 and 1820 (34)
FANGOMORE (Fanag-more) – Gaelic, Feannag, lazy bed – settlement at the mouth of Loch Laxford, overlooks Ardmore on the opposite bank (26)
FOINDLE near Fanagmore (25)
GEISGEAL (33)
GLENCOUL – (38)
GLENDHU – (37)
HANDA ISLAND – Norse, sandly isle – nowadays only inhabited by birds but at one time families lived here (28)
INCHARD – an arm of the sea
INSHEGRA – crofting township between Rhiconich and Kinlochbervie (11)
KINLOCH – Reay forest at east end of Loch More, small community and burial ground here (23)
KINLOCHBERVIE – Gaelic, Ceann-loch-buirbhidh, head of Loch Buirve but there are remains of a burg or fort on an arm of Loch Inchard, whence the name (9)
KINSAILE – Former crofting township near the mouth of Loch Inchard. Towards the coast from Rhivichie (17)
KYLESTROME – Norse, kyle stream (36)
KYLESTROME EAST – 1 tenant there in 1819
KYLESTROME WEST – 1 tenant there in 1819
LAXFORD – Norse, salmon loch (21)
LOCH BERVIE – A sea Loch off Loch Inchard. The harbour area at Kinlochbervie
LOCH CLASH – Part of Kinlochbervie. Where the first harbour was situated until the new one was built at Loch Bervie
LOWER BADCALL - (32)
POLIN – One mile north of Oldshoremore (6)
PORTLEVORCHY – on the road to Ardmore (18)
OLDSHORESMORE (Ashare, Oldshoares) there are two Oldshores. The old spelling in Privy Seal record is Aslarmore, Aslarbeg (1551). The Gaelic pronunciation is Ashar – 1 tenant there in 1819 (Dond. Forbes, Ribigill) (8)
OLDSHOREBEG – a small crofting settlement north of Oldshoremore – in the 1861 and 1871 census the area of Polin and Drumnaguie was known as Oldshorebeg
RHICONICH – Gaelic, running stream, mossy – stands at the head of Loch Inchard (14)
RHIVICHIE – near Achlyness, Rhiconich (16)
RHARVOULT (Rhavoult) – between Achriesgill and Badcall Inchard (12)
SANDWOOD – Galeic Seannabhat from Norse sandy lake (1) - a beautiful, isolated beach and loch which is well worth the walk. Park your car at Blairmore - four miles each way
SCOURIE (Scoury) – Norse, Robbers’ Hold or Buccaneers’ Fort – another version has it as Norse, Skaga, a copse and Gaelic, a sheiling – 1 tenant there in 1819 (George Mackay of Bighouse) – today a pretty village (29) - Scourie was once a Clan Mackay stronghold - the village claims to be the only one in the world where, depending on the season of the year, you can see Palm Trees, Red & Black Throated Divers & Highland cattle from the foreshore of the bay
SCOURIEMORE – just south of Scourie (30)
SHEIGRA – the last inhabitation on the west coast of Sutherland, 4 miles south of Sandwood Bay (2)
SINAIRIDH – Gaelic, old sheiling
SKERRICHA (20)
STRATH CHOILLEACH – remote shepherd’s house north of Sandwood Bay
STRATHAN – remote shepherd’s house near the east of Loch Sandwood
TARBET – Gaelic, An Tairbeart, peninsula – small fishing and crofting community – boat here for Handa island (27)
UPPER BADCALL – crofting township overlooking Badcall Bay (31)

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