TheBlack Isle (Scottish Gaelic:an t-Eilean Dubh,pronounced[ən̪ˠˈtʲʰelanˈt̪uh]) is a peninsula withinRoss and Cromarty, in theScottish Highlands. It includes the towns ofCromarty andFortrose, and the villages ofCulbokie,Resolis,Jemimaville,Rosemarkie,Avoch,Munlochy,Tore, andNorth Kessock, as well as numerous smaller settlements. About 12,000 people live on the Black Isle, depending on the definition.
It contains the civil parishes ofKillearnan,Knockbain,Avoch,Rosemarkie,Cromarty,Resolis, andUrquhart.[1] These parishes had a total population of 12,302 at the 2011 census.[2]
The northern slopes of the Black Isle offer fine views ofDingwall,Ben Wyvis,Fyrish and the deepwater anchorage atInvergordon. To the south,Inverness and theMonadhliath Mountains can be seen.
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Despite its name, the Black Isle is not an island but apeninsula, surrounded on three sides by thesea – theCromarty Firth to the north, theBeauly Firth to the south, and theMoray Firth to the east.
On the fourth, western side, its boundary is broadly delineated by rivers. TheRiver Conon, which dividesMaryburgh fromConon Bridge, defines the border in the north-west. The south-western boundary is variously considered to be either a minor tributary of theRiver Beauly separatingBeauly (inInverness-shire) andMuir of Ord (on the Black Isle in Ross and Cromarty), dividing the two counties and also delineating the start of the Black Isle; or alternatively, the River Beauly itself, thus including Beauly in the Black Isle despite its official placement in Inverness-shire.[3]
There are modern road bridges across theCromarty andBeauly Firths, which carry theA9 trunk road across the heart of the Black Isle. The last remaining ferry is a summer service from Cromarty toNigg. TheNorth Coast 500 scenic route crosses the base of the peninsula.
The Black Isle is close to railway stations at Inverness and along theFar North Line to Dingwall, as well asInverness Airport and the cruise ship terminal at Invergordon. There are a number of hotels and B&Bs on the Black Isle itself, with many more nearby.
Land use is primarily arable farming and forestry. Since theKessock Ferry across the Beauly Firth was replaced by the bridge, the Black Isle has become something of a commuter zone for Inverness.
The whole of the Black Isle is part of thePresbytery of Ross.
The Black Isle has a wide variety of wildlife including several legally protected areas. It is particularly known for the chance to seebottlenose dolphins at close range, either from wildlife boat operators inAvoch andCromarty or from the beach atChanonry Point betweenRosemarkie andFortrose.
Castles on the Black Isle (whether ruins, or otherwise) includeCastlecraig,Redcastle, andKilcoy Castle.Cromarty House stands on the site of former Cromarty Castle and is built in part from its reclaimed stone and timbers. The tower house,Kinkell Castle was restored in the late 1960s by the well- known sculptor,Gerald Laing.[4] Former castles of the Black Isle for which there are no physical remains includeTarradale Castle,Chanonry Castle and a mound indicating the former site ofOrmond Castle.
Conventional middle to modern Black Isle history is well documented at a number of visitor centres and cottage museums sprinkled across the peninsula. According to theEncyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, it was originally called Ardmeanach (Scottish Gaelic:ard, 'height';maniach, 'monk', from an old religious house on the wooded ridge of Mulbuie), and it derived its customary name from the fact that, since snow does not lie in winter, the promontory looks black while the surrounding country is white. However, that is only one theory amongst many.
Rosehaugh, near Avoch, belonged toSir George Mackenzie, founder of theAdvocates' Library in Edinburgh, who earned the sobriquet of "Bloody" from his persecution of theCovenanters. Redcastle, on the shore, near Killearnan church, dates from 1179 and is said to have been the earliest inhabited house in the north of Scotland. On the forfeiture of theearldom of Ross it became a royal castle (being visited byMary, Queen of Scots), and afterwards passed for a period into the hands of the Mackenzies ofGairloch. Previously, the Black Isle had beenMunro country.
The Black Isle was one of the earliest parts of the northern Highlands to experience theclearances and was settled with many Lowland shepherds and farmers, especially from the north east.
Hugh Miller, self-taught geologist and writer, was born in Cromarty where his cottage is now aNational Trust for Scotland museum.
Alexander Mackenzie, who crossedCanada overland in 1793 and gave his name to theMackenzie River, is buried near Avoch.
Between 1989 and 1994, 93red kites of Swedish origin were reintroduced to the Black Isle.[5]
From 1894 until 1960 the Black Isle Railway, known officially as theFortrose Branch, ran from Muir of Ord to Fortrose.
The principal secondary school on the Black Isle isFortrose Academy which currently has around 640 pupils.[6] As of 2023, Fortrose Academy is one of the top 100 secondary schools in Scotland.[7] There are a number of primary schools (listed below), most of whom transfer pupils to Fortrose Academy when they become of age, whilst the others transfer pupils to Dingwall Academy.
In addition to its Gaelic heritage, the Black Isle had its own dialect ofNorth Northern Scots, used mainly among fisherfolk in Avoch and Cromarty, where it became extinct in October 2012, upon the death of Bobby Hogg, the last native speaker.[8][9]
Now barely used, there areClootie well sites at Munlochy, Jemimaville and Avoch.
The prophetthe Brahan Seer was, according to legend, murdered at Chanonry Point after his predictions revealed a scandalous affair.[10]
Anne MacLeod, the writer, lives on the Black Isle.
Composer/musicianNeil Grant is originally fromCulbokie.
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