Ballachulish

Ballachulish Scottish Gaelic: Baile Chaolais
OS grid reference	NN061579
Council area	Highland
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Postcode district	PH49 4
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish

File:Ballachulish quarry.jpg

Ballachulish slate quarry

The village of Ballachulish ( from the Gaelic Baile a' Chaolais ) in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, is centred around former slate quarries. The name Ballachulish (pronounced Bah - lah - choolish) was more correctly applied to the area now called North Ballachulish, to the north of Loch Leven, but was usurped for the quarry villages at East Laroch and West Laroch, either side of the River Laroch, which were actually within Glencoe and South Ballachulish respectively.

Overview

File:Balachulish.JPG

Ballachulish from Beinn a'Bheithir

The principal industry is now tourism, although most visitors pass swiftly by the village itself.

The name Ballachulish (in Gaelic, Baile a' chaolais) means "the Village by the Narrows". The narrows in question is Caolas Mhic Phadraig - Peter or Patrick's narrows, at the mouth of Loch Leven.

As there was no road to the head of Loch Leven, until it was built in 1927, the Ballachulish ferry, established in 1733, and that at Caolas na Con were essential. The Ballachulish ferry closed in December 1975 when the Ballachulish Bridge finally opened.

The Ballachulish Hotel (Tigh Craig)(Tigh means House), and Ballachulish House (now a country house hotel) are located near the narrows at (south) Ballachulish Ferry rather than in the 'modern' village some three miles east. Ballachulish House was reputed to be haunted, and the drive leading to it was ridden by a headless horseman.

The hamlet of Glenachulish (pronounced Glen - ah - choolish) lies in Gleann a'Chaolais, the glen that runs down to the narrows. This is the subject of the beautiful Gaelic song, Gleann Bhaile Chaoil written by John Cameron (1865-1951) and known locally as the Paisley Bard. He is often confused with another local bard also called John Cameron (1822-1898). Gleann a'Chaolais is ringed by Beinn a'Bheithir (pronounced Ben Vair), a massif which contains two munros - Sgorr Dhearg and Sgorr Dhonuill. Glenachulish originally consisted of a row of forestry houses. In recent years, a number of new houses have been built locally along with holiday chalets and an art gallery. In recent years, the fields of Gleann a'Chaolias have been turned into a 9-hole golf course.

Overlooking the narrows is the monument to James of the Glen, "hanged on this spot for a crime of which he was not guilty". Robert Louis Stevenson based his novel Kidnapped around the story of the Appin Murder. Whoever did kill the Red Fox (Campbell of Glenure) is still not known, but the story is a reminder that a people subject to unjust occupation and persecution, as the Jacobite Highlanders were, will sometimes resort to violence and rebellion.

Shinty

Shinty is a popular local sport and the village is the traditional boundary of the North/South divide in shinty, with teams north of the village playing in the North district's competitions and those South playing in their respective competitions. Ballachulish's shinty team plays in the South Leagues. However, Ballachulish is still considerably far North in relation to most of Scotland. The Club has won the Camanachd Cup four times.

Railway

In 1903, a branch of the Callander and Oban Railway, from Connel Ferry, was opened to Ballachulish. The site of the former railway halt of Ballachulish Ferry, the penultimate stop on the line before the Laroch quarries, was next to Ballachulish House, some half mile inland from the ferry. Traces of the line, which closed with the quarries in 1966, remain between here and Connel Ferry. The old terminus station at Laroch (Ballachulish) is now an award winning Doctor's surgery. The station, and stationmaster's house, at Duror, is now a private house and the station at Creagan, some 20 miles south, has been refurbished in its old traditional Caledonian Railway brown. The station at Kentallen (5 miles south of Ballachulish) included a pier. When this Oban-Ballachulish branch line closed the station buildings were bought over by Scottie & Bridget Stewart who ran the renowned Kentallen Station Tearooms for more than 15 years until finally retiring in 1974. Apparently afternoon tea here was a spectacular feast. This station has now been turned into The Holly Tree Hotel & Leisure Club.

Slate

Slate from the East Larroch quarries, established just two years after the infamous Glencoe Massacre of 1692, was used to provide the roofing slate for much of Edinburgh and Glasgow's skyline in the 18th century Victorian. It is of good quality but one weakness is the presence of Iron Pyrite in the rock. These crystals quickly rust away when exposed to the weather, leaving clean square holes and a brown rusty streak. Over 75% of the slate cut from the quarries was unusable as roof covering for this and other reasons. The quarries closed in 1955.

Graveyard

The graveyard of St John's Episcopal church has some fine gravestones which, unlike many others, look as if they were engraved 'yesterday', having been made from Ballachulish slate.

See also

• Eilean Munde