An Imaginary Drive round Tongue Parish. (MAP)

In 1836, Tongue Parish consisted of 245 crofts (small-holdings) of between 2 and 5 acres. Most names represent a group of crofts. sometimes only one or two. For number of crofts in each place, see 1836 Rental for Tongue. Some place names don't appear in the Rental, for instance Cnoc which I think is part of Skinnid. In addition to crofts, there were several gamekeepers' and shepherds' cottages.

Spelling What can I say, variants are many! Of course, most names were originally gaelic, transcribed phonetically by English-speaking factors and ministers, mis-pronounced, distorted ... Even today, the Ordnance Survey (maps) the Royal Mail (post) and the Local Authority (road signs), can differ. For instance, "Scullomie" is our postal address, but the OS prefers "Skullomie".

Errors and Omissions I hope you'll email me with your questions, corrections and additions.

Three short trips round the Parish of Tongue

Nowadays the main road crosses the Kyle of Tongue on a Causeway, a much safer and faster trip than the old ferry. (map for reference - increase scale for more place names).

1. Take the A838 past Moine House (extreme left of map) to the Causeway, then north along the western shore through Melness. (distance to be checked)

Moine House (a forester's house/resting place for travellers across the moor)
Achuvoldrach Ferry (Ferry House)
Melness Cemetery (aka Achuvoldrach Burial Ground, Ferry Field)
(Melness War Memorial is inside the old cemetery)
Upper Melness
Clashvan Melness (Clashbain Melness)
Skinnet (Skinnid, Skinnid)
Cornhill
Talmine
Continue along the top road to
Bridge House
Or loop down to
"Old" School
Lower Talmine (School Glebe)
Laid Glas (or is this the old name for Lower Talmine?)
Talmine Harbour
And back up to
Flag House (not sure of this!)
Melness Free Church
Torrannacudigan {unsure of exact location]
Achnahuag (Achinahuag, Achnahuagh, etc.)
Portvasgo (Port Vasgo, Portvascaig)
Midfield
Cnoc
Strathen (Strathen Melness, Strathmelness)
Lubinvullin
Achutighallvin (and many variants!)
Achininver (Achninver, Achinver)
Dalnafree
West Strathen
Dalmraigh (last house in Melness).

2. Take the A836 (bottom of map) northwards to the Causeway, then along the eastern shore to Skerray and Borgie. (distance to be checked)

On the main road, the first dwelling you reach is
Inchkinloch (shepherd's house at the head of Loch Loyal)
Loyal Lodge
Lettermore (shepherd's or keeper's house on Loch Loyal shore)
Pool (keeper's house, over the bridge across Loch Loyal near its north end)
Nearing Tongue, you first come to
Braetongue
Lochcrask (a few crofts or cottars land above Braetongue, cleared in the 1840s and divided between Braetongue crofters and Ribigill Farm)
"Old" schoolhouse (where teacher Robert Newlands lived)
"New" school and schoolmaster's house (teacher Mr McNeill)
Rhitongue
Coldbackie
Tongue Free Church and Manse (now a B&B)
"Poorhouse"
Strathtongue
Go up a blind road to right
Dalcharn
Then back to main road, and next left
Blandy
Scullomie (Skurlomy, Skullomie)
Scullomie Harbour
If you are a walker, strike across the hill to
Sletell (Slaitel)
Or return to main road, take next left to
Modsary (Modsorry, Modsorrymore, Modsorrybeg)
Strathan Skerray (Strathmore Skerray, Strathanbeg)
Mall of Skerray
Clashbain Skerray
Lamigo (and Lamigo Bay)
Clashcleven [unsure of exact location]
Achnabat
Torroy
Tubeg (including Clashbuie, Clashnastruag)
Skerray Harbour
If you had a boat, you might sail over to
Island Roan
Island Comb aka Island Neave
The Rabbit Islands (Island na Goul, Islands of Strangers) - inhabited from ancient times until at least the 1830s.
Return to Skerray Harbour, continue to
Clashaidy (Clasheddy)
Skerray Mains
Achtotty
Lotts
Glaickbea (Glaickbeath, Glackbeith etc.)
Aird
Torrisdale Cemetery aka Skerray Cemetery
Torrisdale
Daltorrisdale (is this the house on the shore?)
Borgie
Borgie Bridge house
Borgie Forest house

3. Round trip from the eastern side of the Causeway round the head of the Kyle of Tongue and back across the Causeway (?9 miles - check this)

Point House aka Summer House (a tiny 8-sided house, originally a look-out for the ferry)
Tongue Lodge (now the Youth Hostel)
Tongue Mains Farm
Tongue House
"Dunvarrich", Peter Burr's substantial Victorian house.
St Andrew's Church of Scotland and churchyard
Tongue Hotel, ?Victorian.
Old Tongue Innacross the road from the back of Tongue Hotel
Tongue Village
Loyal Cottage
Inchverry
Hysbackie (Hyshbackie)
Cunside (Gunside, Kinside)
Dionside (Deanside)
Ribigill Farm (formed from clearance of three settlements: Scrabster, Traital and Fallside/Feulside)
Rhian (once a school, then a keeper's house in early 20c)
Kinloch gamekeeper's house at the head of the Kyle.
Totag (somewhere in this area, I'm unsure of exact location)
Cross the bridge and drive up the western shore till you reach the Ferry House at the western end of the Causeway. Drive across and complete the circle at Point House.

I hope you enjoyed your drive round Tongue Parish!
Mary Young. September 2004.