Visiting Shards
If you are visiting Wester Ross, why not call in at Shards
workshop in Arrina? It's on the Applecross coast road - 10 miles from
Shieldaig and 15 miles from Applecross - see
map. If you are travelling from a distance, please phone first -
01520 755231.
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A Bit of History
About the Old Schoolhouse and the surrounding area....
Surrounded by mountains, heather and lochs,
the remote crofting township of Arrina is idyllically situated on the
south shore of Loch Torridon, looking over to the mountains of Beinn
Alligin, Liathach and Beinn Eighe.
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Arrina is 10 miles from Shieldaig
and 15 miles from Applecross. The scenery is second to none.
The full Gaelic name
"Arinacrinachd", which is still shown on some maps, means "The
Shieling of the Picts". A shieling is a summer pasture and
gives us a hint of the length of time that humans have inhabited
the area.
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A standing stone in the field
behind The Old School is an ancient monument to the timeless
history of the place.
It's also hard to imagine that this
part of Scotland was under Viking rule until 700 years ago.
They left their legacy in Viking
place names - Shieldaig, Diabaig, etc., and in the stumps of
ancient trees that can be found in the bogs, that they felled
and burned, changing the landscape forever.
The School was built as a result of
the Education Act of 1872. It served the townships of Arrina,
Kenmore, Fearnabeg and Fearnamore. It operated until the early
1970's, closing just before the coast road was completed in
1976. Electricity came in 1978.
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The area is rich in wildlife. You
can see otters, pine martens, golden eagles and sea eagles, red
deer and roe deer. And there are mountain hares and wild goats
if you venture into higher areas. It's teeming with birdlife,
too.
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