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 Introduction

View of Avoch from above

A view from North of the village showing the spire of the Parish Church, the tower of the Free Church of Scotland, the war memorial and the house built by Alex Mann.

Two people baiting fishing lines

Not all the work of a fisherman took place at sea. Here we see Sandy and Maggie Skinner working outside their house in Geddieston - now called Braehead.

Avoch Photographer Donald Macleman

Avoch Filling Station

Until the end of the twentieth century this site on the High Street was still a filling station. The first proprietor was Alex Macdonald who was a blacksmith engineer.

Avoch Fishing Boat

Ins 247, Guiding Star, with Will Patience standing in the stern.

A Wood Gatherer at Avoch shore

A wood gatherer is pictured on the shore in front of the smoking chimneys of Henrietta. From the right can be picked out Holmwood which belonged to Danny Raff the boat builder, the 'Pipers' Cottage' which housed the Mackenzies who were fiddlers and pipers and the row of fishermen's cottages built by Mackenzie of Scatwell in the eighteenth century. The house to the west of the white ones was once a grain store.

Houses at George Street,Avoch

Most of the houses in the 'Streeties' are small cottages but this impressive house stands at the top of the Street. The photographer Donald Macleman (Donny Rees) lived here.

View of the Henrietta Bridge,Avoch

Looking towards the Dock from Henrietta Street this photo clearly shows the higher Braehead road and the lower houses at the Dock. Just to the right of the bridge, on the opposite side of the burn is a wooden gent's 'privy' and on the roadside a water pump is visible.

Buildings at the corner of High Street and George Street,Avoch

The corner buildingwas at one time a Mace shop but later when this photograph was taken, it became an electrical shop belonging to an Alistair Macdonald. The house was known as "Johnny Clay's" as it belonged to a John MacClay. In front of the house was a dam for the blanket factory lower down the street.

House at Gallow Hill,Avoch

This splendid house sits atop Gallow Hill and faces east. It was built by Alex Mann, a local farmer, from stone which was originally part of the now demolished Rosehaugh House.

Former House at Lazy Corner

Lazy Corner. Seen from the site of the Mace shop, this is still called 'Lazy Corner' but the house no longer stands.

Macdonald's Shop

This photograph was taken when the premises were used as a Mace store.Nowadays the entrance to the shop is on the opposite side of the building and a Chinese takeaway and a Bank of Scotland cashpoint have been added at the end in the near view. The Macdonalds originally had a baker's shop in Margaret Street just beyond where their van is parkedin the photograph and they still have a bakery in George Street.

View of the former Bank of Scotland and Police Houses

The comparatively new houses of Mackenzie Place stand behind the Bank of Scotland house on the left and the Police house on the right. Sadly, both these building are no longer used for their original purposes.

View of Donald MacLeman's House,Avoch

This house in Margaret Street belonged to Donald Macleman (pictured above). For many years he took photographs in and around the area.He donated his collection to the Ross and Cromarty Heritage Society of which a small selection are shown on this website. The house formerly belonged to a Teeny Rees who is still remembered for the short church services she held here for local children.

Early postcard showing several views of the Avoch harbour area and one of Munlochy Bay.

"Scaffie" boats in Avoch harbour

This pre-WW1 photograph shows 'Scaffies' lying on the beach,east of the harbour - a common sight. Looking westwards, Henrietta Street can be seen but at that time the houses onOrmonde Street did not exist nor did the industrial estate. As shown on the photograph,the former site of Ormonde Castleon the hill in the background was still covered in woodland then.

View of former slaughterhouse from the burn

This rather indistinct photograph is looking towards the site presently occupied by the bowling green. A bakehouse is visible and, in the distance, Inverleod and Toll farm can be see. The shed towards the right of the picture is reputed to be a slaughterhouse belonging to Munro the butcher.

Snowfall on Margaret Street

Donald MacLeman'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.

"The Cellar "Building

The petrol pumps on the right belonged to the garage owned by Colin MacArthur. The adjacent building was named 'The Cellar" and it was used to store coal brought into the harbour opposite. The whole building is now converted into flats with a good view across the Firth.

Nissan Hut at top of Long Road

The Nissan hut housed Colin MacArthur's garage. The bowling pavilion is visible in the background. A blacksmith, Tom Mackenzie from Raddery, had a smiddy between the garage and the pavilion.

View of Avoch from Gallow hill

This picture is taken from above Long Road. Braehead is visible above the harbour cottages and the chimney of the blanket factory stands tall at the left. In front of the Dock cottages are the 'piggeries' where Gowans Place stands now.

Washing Lines at Avoch shore

These washing lines on the shore (or Burlach) were used by all the residents of the nearby 'streeties'. If the tide was in when the rain came on, then the washing and the owner's feet were likely to get wet !

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