Cleit nan Laogh

Island in Inverness-shire

Scotland

Cleit nan Laogh

Tidal rock near Cleit Steiseigh Credit: Toby Speight

Cleit nan Laogh is a small uninhabited island located off the coast of Inverness-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Situated in the Inner Hebrides, it is part of the archipelago known as the Small Isles. The island has a total area of approximately 4 hectares and is characterized by its rugged and rocky terrain.

Cleit nan Laogh is predominantly made up of steep cliffs, rising up to 60 meters in height, providing nesting sites for a variety of seabirds such as puffins, guillemots, and razorbills. The island is also home to a number of grey seals, which can often be seen basking on the rocky shores.

The island's name, Cleit nan Laogh, translates to "rock of the calves" in Gaelic, reflecting its historical use as a grazing ground for livestock. Evidence of past human activity can be found in the form of ruined stone structures, believed to be the remains of dwellings or shelters used by shepherds.

Due to its remote location and lack of facilities, Cleit nan Laogh is not easily accessible to visitors. However, it is occasionally visited by wildlife enthusiasts and birdwatchers who are drawn to the island's rich biodiversity. The surrounding waters are also popular among divers, who are attracted by the abundance of marine life and underwater caves.

Cleit nan Laogh serves as a reminder of the untamed beauty of the Scottish Highlands, offering a glimpse into the region's natural and cultural history.

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Cleit nan Laogh Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 57.400632/-7.2383946 or Grid Reference NF8546. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Tidal rock near Cleit Steiseigh

Toby Speight

CrÃ raigh Mhor

Toby Speight

Steiseigh and nearby rocks

This is a wide, shallow sea, with a big difference in what's visible at high and low tide. Here, we're somewhere between the two, and a few rocks are already showing.

Toby Speight

Mystery harbour, Benbecula

This loch is named as Oban Crothintin on the larger scale OS maps. The inlet shown in the photo has been built up on the southern side as if to make some sort of landing stage. The mystery is that, although it is tidal, the burn leading from the loch to the sea is very narrow, barely wide enough to get a rowing boat through at high spring tides. If a boat required sheltered moorings, the bay on the other side of the road offers that in abundance with a much easier passage to the open water.

AlastairG

New track on Benbecula

Neither the OS maps nor Google Earth show this track alongside Loch an Droma bho Dheas. It seems to have been constructed to gain access to a building which looked to be in the process of renovation.

AlastairG

Loch an Droma bho Deas

This is the continuation of the track shown in NF8447 : New track on Benbecula The chimneys of the house under restoration can just be seen on the skyline on the right at the end on the loch.

AlastairG

Extreme weather precautions on Benbecula

This belt and braces job speaks volumes about the anticipated wind conditions on Benbecula ....and, yes, the other side is just the same. The loch is loch an Droma bho Deas.

AlastairG

Loch an Droma bho Deas, Benbecula

The colour of the water is misleading. Unlike nearby lochs, this one has a fringe of unpleasant filamentous algae and the water itself is quite turbid. This reason for this could be the presence of a large number of geese and swans with their resultant deposits. This would be made worse by the lack of meaningful rain for about two months. A pity as it's in a lovely setting.

AlastairG

Dying loch, Benbecula

This loch is near the end of its life. What was once open water has gone through a series of changes, each of which alters the habitat, allowing other plant types to become established. As the submerged plants die each year, for example, their remains accumulate, making the water shallower allowing emergent species e.g. bogbean to grow. These changes are known as a hydrosere and will eventually result in a flat area which will support the climax community for the area, often woodland.

AlastairG

Dying loch, Benbecula

This shows the next stage of succession after that shown in NF8447 : Dying loch, Benbecula The flag iris bases would certainly allow someone to walk across what had been open water. The time taken for these changes to occur can vary greatly. In some circumstances, the habitat can reach this stage in as little as twenty years.

AlastairG

Causeway by Loch Chill Eireabhaigh

Compare with this similar view in 2008 [Link].

Richard Sutcliffe

Cotton grass and tidal inlets

Looking north from one of the tiny islets connected by causeways on the B891 towards Eilean Dubh Fo Thuath and the distant hill of Ruabhal.

Gordon Hatton

Small boats at rest, Port Pheadair

Small boats at anchor in the channel between Eilean na Cille and Fodragaigh. Would I be able to add the latter island to my growing list of island 'bags'? Not with the tide coming in and areas of exposed slippery rocks covered in weed.

Gordon Hatton

The phone box is still standing

Two contributors recorded this scene in 2007, but since then the roof of the old croft house has totally collapsed, but at least the telephone box is still standing, though probably rarely used except to shelter from horizontal rain.

Gordon Hatton