Scoraig
Encyclopedia
Scoraig is a settlement located on a remote peninsula
between Little Loch Broom and Loch Broom
, south of Ullapool
in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland
, roughly at 57°54′55"N 05°21′54"W.
Today it is known for its remoteness (reachable only by boat or several miles' walk), its somewhat "alternative" atmosphere, organic food production, and its pioneering use of wind power
. It offers a retreat centre, remedial herbs and some basic self-catering accommodation. Its reputation may have been undermined in recent years due to increased usage of powered transport (such as ATVs
) and backup generators to support higher energy demanding lives in which large televisions and freezer units are used regardless of wind power input. However by far the biggest source of the electricity used on Scoraig in 2009 is still the wind (using ever more and larger turbines) and some supplementary solar PV arrays. It is quite close to Gruinard Island..
Scoraig has experienced several waves of human habitation. A ruin (considered by some to be a monastery) on the north shore of the peninsula at Annat is thought to date from the 1st millennium. The land was divided up in the 19th century into narrow strips of agricultural holdings known as crofts
to support a minimum level of subsistence for Gaelic-speaking Highlanders, towards the end of which the populations peaked at several hundred.
At one time Scoraig supported a relatively wealthy merchant by the name of MacIver, whose shop received goods by steamship from Glasgow and distributed them not only to other 'Scorreachean' (natives of Scoraig) but also to the wider Inner Hebrides area.
Scoraig's remote location, its increasing marginalisation from the wider area as road and rail networks gained in prominence at the expense of the steamer, and two world wars, severely diminished its population and by 1960 it was almost deserted. The last permanent residents left in 1964.
Another wave of settlement from that time on, consisting mainly of 'good-lifers', 'back-to-the-landers', hippies etc. began in the 1960s and persists to this time. There are today several 'third-generation' children, whose parents were born in Scoraig.
Many of the jobs on Scoraig are connected with local services such as the school, the postal deliveries, 'community enhancement' projects etc, but many residents support themselves through traditional activities such as crofting, stonewalling and trawling, as well as violin-making, vegetable-growing, building trades and wind-power training courses.
Second generation resident Tommy Beavitt asserts that "the internal economic mainstay of the 'community' is the capital brought in by newcomers, which is generally spent on building 'properties', largely outside normal planning regulations."
There is a school, which provides primary education to approximately 12 children. Most children over the age of 14 go to Ullapool school, to which they either commute weekly or their parent(s) move house at this point in order to provide them with a secondary education. Scoraig is also known for the growth of plots of remedial herbs, and a tree nursery.
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
between Little Loch Broom and Loch Broom
Loch Broom
Loch Broom is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, in the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch...
, south of Ullapool
Ullapool
Ullapool is a small town of around 1,300 inhabitants in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest settlement for many miles around, and is a major tourist destination of Scotland. The North Atlantic Drift passes by Ullapool, bringing moderate temperatures...
in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, roughly at 57°54′55"N 05°21′54"W.
Today it is known for its remoteness (reachable only by boat or several miles' walk), its somewhat "alternative" atmosphere, organic food production, and its pioneering use of wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
. It offers a retreat centre, remedial herbs and some basic self-catering accommodation. Its reputation may have been undermined in recent years due to increased usage of powered transport (such as ATVs
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
) and backup generators to support higher energy demanding lives in which large televisions and freezer units are used regardless of wind power input. However by far the biggest source of the electricity used on Scoraig in 2009 is still the wind (using ever more and larger turbines) and some supplementary solar PV arrays. It is quite close to Gruinard Island..
Scoraig has experienced several waves of human habitation. A ruin (considered by some to be a monastery) on the north shore of the peninsula at Annat is thought to date from the 1st millennium. The land was divided up in the 19th century into narrow strips of agricultural holdings known as crofts
Croft (land)
A croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer.- Etymology :...
to support a minimum level of subsistence for Gaelic-speaking Highlanders, towards the end of which the populations peaked at several hundred.
At one time Scoraig supported a relatively wealthy merchant by the name of MacIver, whose shop received goods by steamship from Glasgow and distributed them not only to other 'Scorreachean' (natives of Scoraig) but also to the wider Inner Hebrides area.
Scoraig's remote location, its increasing marginalisation from the wider area as road and rail networks gained in prominence at the expense of the steamer, and two world wars, severely diminished its population and by 1960 it was almost deserted. The last permanent residents left in 1964.
Another wave of settlement from that time on, consisting mainly of 'good-lifers', 'back-to-the-landers', hippies etc. began in the 1960s and persists to this time. There are today several 'third-generation' children, whose parents were born in Scoraig.
Many of the jobs on Scoraig are connected with local services such as the school, the postal deliveries, 'community enhancement' projects etc, but many residents support themselves through traditional activities such as crofting, stonewalling and trawling, as well as violin-making, vegetable-growing, building trades and wind-power training courses.
Second generation resident Tommy Beavitt asserts that "the internal economic mainstay of the 'community' is the capital brought in by newcomers, which is generally spent on building 'properties', largely outside normal planning regulations."
There is a school, which provides primary education to approximately 12 children. Most children over the age of 14 go to Ullapool school, to which they either commute weekly or their parent(s) move house at this point in order to provide them with a secondary education. Scoraig is also known for the growth of plots of remedial herbs, and a tree nursery.
External links
- www.scoraig.com - a community website, rebuilt October 2009
- www.scoraigwind.co.uk - Hugh Piggott's home page about small wind turbines.