Scourie

Scourie (Scottish Gaelic: Sgobhairigh), historically spelled "Scoury", is a village on the north west coast of Scotland, about halfway between Ullapool and Durness. The name comes from the Gaelic word Sheiling or shed, a stone-built place of shelter used during the summer months.[2] It is in the traditional county of Sutherland, now part of the Highland council area; the 2011 Census classified Scourie as 'Very remote rural' with an adult population of 132.[3]

Scourie
  • Scottish Gaelic: Sgobhairigh[1]

Quinag and Scourie across the Sound of Handa
Scourie
Location within the Sutherland area
OS grid referenceNC157447
Civil parish
  • Eddrachillis
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLAIRG
Postcode districtIV27
Dialling code01971
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Until the 19th century, Clan Mackay was the predominant family in the area with a junior branch of the family owning Scourie itself; in 1640, it was the birthplace of Hugh Mackay, a Scottish general who settled in the Netherlands and commanded the forces of William III at Killiecrankie in July 1689. The last of the Mackays' Scottish estates including Scourie were sold in 1829, although the name is still common in the area.[4]

The nearby island of Handa is a nature reserve and the site of a large seabird colony, including puffins, skuas, guillemots and razorbills. The Scourie estate is owned by Dr Jean Balfour.[5] The palm trees in the grounds of Scourie House next to the harbour are claimed to be the most northerly specimens in the world not grown in artificial conditions. However, this is a popular misconception. The "palms" in the grounds are actually Cordyline australis, a native New Zealand tree which is found in lowland and montane areas. In the UK it is commonly referred to as "Torbay palm" or "Cornwall palm".[6]

Being on the popular North Coast 500 (NC500) scenic route, the village has accommodation for tourists in several small hotels, bed and breakfasts and a campsite. Fishing is a popular attraction due to the large number of freshwater lochs in the remote area.

Scourie plays host to the home matches of shinty team, Kinlochbervie Camanachd Club

References
  1. Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland
  2. Scottish Parliament Place Names Reference Archived 2008-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Area Information for Scourie, Lairg, Scotland, IV27 4TB". streetcheck.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  4. Bangor Jones, Malcolm. "From Clanship to Crofting; Land Ownership, Economy and the Church in the Province of Strathnaver" (PDF). ssns.org.uk. Page 51. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  5. ConFor. "2015 - Drs Jean Balfour and Bob McIntosh « Award for Dedicated Service to Forestry « ConFor". www.confor.org.uk. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  6. "Cabbage tree in England".


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