Scottish Highlands Towns and Villages

Lochcarron, is a long inlet of the sea, feeds an area that combines the old and the new. The village of Lochcarron, which straggles along the north shore of the loch, was once an important fishing community.

A 19th century comment sets the scene in former times: In a calm evening, when hundreds of boats are seen shooting their nets, and scores of vessels lying at anchor, Loch Carron exhibits a scene of rural beauty On the shore of the loch south-west of Loch­carron is Strome, boasting the ruins of Strome Castle, blown up after a clan feud in 1602. Strome has two places in Highland history.

In June 1873 two steamers arrived at Strome with cargoes of fish, which were unloaded. At any other time of the week this activity would have passed without comment.

But the time was one o'clock on a Sunday morning, 50 locals appeared on the scene, took possession of the pier, stopped the unloading and blockaded the ships. The following day a party of six policemen arrived but were unable to cope with the situa­tion. The affair blew up to such proportions that 160 policemen were drafted in from as far away as Lanark and Elgin, to cope with the mass rally of 2000 people on the following Sunday. The situa­tion was resolved by local ministers who. By their intervention, prevented what might have become a sore and bloody affair.