Arnol

Settlement in Ross-shire

Scotland

Arnol

Arnol is a small village located in the county of Ross-shire, in the Highland region of Scotland. Situated on the northwest coast of the Isle of Lewis, it is part of the Outer Hebrides archipelago. The village is surrounded by stunning landscapes, including vast moorlands, rugged hills, and breathtaking seascapes.

Although Arnol is a relatively small settlement, it boasts a rich history and cultural heritage. One of the notable attractions in the village is the Arnol Blackhouse, a traditional thatched cottage that has been preserved as a museum. This blackhouse provides a fascinating insight into the way of life and living conditions of the local crofters in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The village itself offers a peaceful and serene environment, with a close-knit community that welcomes visitors with warmth and friendliness. There are a few amenities available, including a local shop and a community hall. The picturesque coastline is a popular spot for fishing, walks, and birdwatching, with a variety of seabirds and marine life to be observed.

For those looking to explore the wider area, Arnol serves as an excellent base for discovering the natural wonders of the Isle of Lewis. Nearby attractions include the famous Callanish Standing Stones, the stunning white sandy beaches of Uig, and the dramatic cliffs of the Butt of Lewis. The village is also within reach of the main town of Stornoway, where visitors can find a wider range of amenities, including restaurants, shops, and accommodations.

Overall, Arnol is a charming village that offers visitors a glimpse into the past while surrounded by the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and the rugged coastline of the Outer Hebrides.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Arnol Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 58.343269/-6.59653 or Grid Reference NB3148. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Restored Blackhouse at Arnol

David Martin

Fuel supplies

A stack of peat behind the Black House in Arnol.

James Allan

Central heating

Black houses were heated by a peat fire on the floor of the living room. The smoke escaped through a hole in the roof. This example in Arnol village of a black house, which was lived in by a crofting family until 1966, is now maintained by Historic Scotland who still keep the home fires burning in the traditional way, with peat.

James Allan

Road junction

The A858 where it passes the side road from Arnol.

James Allan

Loch Urghag

A moorland loch east of Arnol.

James Allan

Loch na Muilne RSPB reserve

Just so that Anne NB3149 : Loch na Muilne doesn't feel too deprived, you can see red-necked phalaropes on the loch, if you're very lucky! A family who had been sharing the hide with us had almost reached their camper van a quarter of a mile away when two birds appeared from out of the bogbean and swam across several yards of open water to the next patch. If you zoom in and look to the near side of the flat water off the further mat of bogbean, you can just about make out the birds - honest!

AlastairG

Replica Shieling

There are hundreds of shielings in the Western Isles and this replica provides a wonderful insight into what life would have been like for those living in them during the summer months.

Sandy Gerrard

Replica Shieling

A shieling, or airigh, was a small hut on the moors where families would stay in the summer months while their cattle grazed on the open moors. Most families had their own airigh where some family members, typically the mother, grandmother or aunt with the younger children would migrate to annually form May until July with their cattle including milking or in-calf cows. At weekends the schoolchildren and other family members who would be working at the main croft during the week would visit the airigh to enjoy some time off. Several people would stay in these tiny buildings and it is hard to imagine how they managed. This beautiful replica has been fitted out as it would have been with, essentially, a bed and little else. Most cooking would have been done outside but it must have been cramped in the rain.

Ralph Greig

Replica Shieling interior

Ralph Greig

Scottish Salmon Fish Farm

Fish farm situated on Abhainn Èirearrigh where it flows out of Loch Urghag.

David Dixon

Fish Farm Sales hut

David Dixon

Arnol, East Road End

The junction of the road from Arnol with the A858.

David Dixon

Derelict House at Arnol

David Dixon

Local Road at Arnol

David Dixon

View towards Eilean Arnol

Looking across the fields from the Arnol Blackhouse car park.

David Dixon

The Arnol Blackhouse (taigh-dubh)

Arnol (Scottish Gaelic: Àrnol) is a small settlement on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. Once a thriving township with over forty crofts, it now has a much lower number of active crofters and several ruined houses can be seen in the area. Taigh Tughaidh Àrnoil (The Arnol Blackhouse Museum) is at the north end of Arnol township on a site managed by Historic Environment Scotland and designated as a scheduled monument (SM90022 Link

Historic Environment Scotland). The site comprises a group of domestic buildings including two traditional blackhouses and two stone-and-mortar-built croft houses (whitehouses). The two blackhouses were both built around 1880. Blackhouse no 42, on the east side of the road, is one of the best preserved blackhouses anywhere. It was one of the last to be built without windows or a chimney, linking it to medieval buildings that used an open hearth. Since being taken into state care in 1962, it has been restored to give visitors a sense of rural life over the last century. The byre roof was rebuilt in 1990. Adjacent to this, is a single-storey croft house into which the inhabitants of the blackhouse moved around 1962. This building is now uninhabited and has been refurbished internally for use as a visitor centre. On the western side of the road, Blackhouse no 39 was abandoned much earlier and now stands roofless. The croft house associated with this blackhouse was built in the 1920s and lies next to the road. It has two storeys and is covered by a pitched roof covered with felt. More information can be found in the Historic Environment Scotland Statement of Significance Link

(pdf file).

David Dixon

Blackhouse, No 42 Arnol

The roof is made from heathery turf, which is weighed down by rocks and ropes. Few trees grow in the area because of the boggy landscape and high winds; islanders needed to be resourceful with what was available

David Dixon