Avoch and Killen in a pictorial tour ⋆ Ross and Cromarty Heritage

Avoch and Killen Introduction

Attribution: unknown or not recorded

The Avoch and Killen community is located on the Black Isle. So, Avoch is a small fishing village while on the other hand Killen is mainly agricultural. This means in the past most of the folk in Avoch and Killen have been employed in agriculture or fishing. However, in the past the village has also been involved in ship building and transporting goods by ship.

A Pictorial Tour of Avoch and Killen

Why not join in a pictorial tour of Avoch through the ages? You will meet some of the people who used to live here. For example this is one of the photos on the tour and shows Sandy and Maggie Skinner working outside their house in Geddieston. So, not all the work of a fisherman takes place at sea.

Attribution: unknown

Attribution: unknown

"Scaffies" in Avoch harbour.

A common sight on the beach was “Scaffies” drawn up on the beach as we can see in this pre-WW1 photograph. After that, if we look westward we can see Henrietta Street. However, two of today’s features are missing: there is no Ormonde Street houses or the industrial estate. Finally, the site of Ormonde Castle is still well wooded.

Margaret street after a Snowfall

Donald’s shadow can be seen here as he stood with his back to the Firth photographing the bottom of Margaret Street. On the left is a shop which was owned by Robert Jack who sold groceries. It later became an electrical shop. Next to it is a shed which was a shoemaker’s shop.

Attribution: unknown

Click on photo album to view thumbnails and then click thumbnail to see the full size images

Avoch » Avoch Places » Avoch Residential

Braehead and High Street

Most of the housing in Avoch is on the two layers seen here. The lower houses are directly opposite the harbour and the upper ones lie immediately in front of the old railway line (now a footpath to Fortrose).

Dock

Dock is the area between the 'Streeties' and Henrietta Bridge. Its cottages are set at varying angles and cause confusion to the visitor but locals say that it was far more congested in previous times.

George Street

There are six roads running between the High Street and the sea front. They are called locally 'The Streeties' and are named after some of the Mackenzie family - Alexander, John, James, Margaret and George.

Gowans Place

Built in the 1990s the attractive houses in the bottom left hand corner of this picture provide sheltered accommodation in a very pleasant cul-de-sac at the edge of 'The Parkie'.

Henrietta Street

Built well over 200 years ago these cottages originally housed fishing families. With only two rooms downstairs and the same upstairs it is difficult to believe that they often housed two families. It is believed that once the upstairs rooms were lofts for housing sails making even less room for habitation. There was a scheme to pull them down to build more modern houses behind them but fortunately the outbreak of war prevented this and now they are listed buildings.

More Killen housing.

There were originally four estate houses in these two residences. The grandson of a Rosehaugh gardener lived (lives?) in one of them.

Killen Smiddy

This is one of three smiths workshops which can be remembered although none now exist.

Killen

Originally an estate cottage, this attractive dwelling is on the main road through Killen.

Long Road

Running alongside the burn this road connects Toll Road and Henrietta Street.

Maji Cottage

Although known as an old cottage, it was not realised until planning permission was sought for alterations in the 1990s that it is one of the oldest domestic buildings in the North of Scotland. It is situated in Dock - an area of many old cottages.

Ormonde Terrace

Facing the sea and continuing west from Henrietta Street is Ormonde Terrace.

Roadman's Cottage

This cottage lies on the road through Killen. Locals remember him with a bicycle and barrow and recall him cutting the grass with a scythe.

Tower House

Although now a private residence it is obvious that this was originally a church. After the Disruption of 1843 the Avoch Church of Scotland minister stayed with the established church and when a Free Church minister was settled in the village permission for a building was refused by James Mackenzie of Scatwell - the then owner of Rosehaugh. John Matheson of Bennetsfield, however, donated them a site and a church was built. In 1864 James Fletcher bought Rosehaugh and offered this site on condition that he chose the architect. His choice was Alexander Ross who also designed the cathedral in Inverness and the premises were opened in 1873. As the congregation diminished the building eventually ceased to be used for worship and it became a village hall. When the present Community Hall was built in about 1980 and the premises lay empty until 1986 when they were converted to dwelling and office accommodation.

Avoch and Killen Introduction

A Pictorial Tour of Avoch and Killen

"Scaffies" in Avoch harbour.

Margaret street after a Snowfall

Click on photo album to view thumbnails and then click thumbnail to see the full size images

The Secretary, Ross and Cromarty Heritage Society, Tigh na Cadalach, Hawthorn Road, Muir of Ord. IV6 7RL.

Please submit your comment