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.

Two people baiting fishing lines

Attribution: unknown

"Scaffie" boats in Avoch harbour

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.

Snowfall on Margaret Street

Attribution: unknown

Click on photo album to view thumbnails and then click thumbnail to see the full size images 
Avoch » Avoch Places » Avoch Locations
Avoch burn.
Avoch burn.
At one time many boats were hauled up the burn and there is an old photograph in the Station Hotel showing this.
Avoch from Ormonde Hill
Avoch from Ormonde Hill
It can be appreciated from this photograph just why this village was chosen as a safe harbour by fishermen. It nestles below a circle of hills and has a burn running into the centre of the semi-circular bay. In times past this burn was accessible to boats at its lower reaches and so provided a good place of safety for them . As the burn is fed from upland springs it has never been known to run dry. Please read more on our Locations page.
Festival of Britain trees planted
Festival of Britain trees planted
These trees were given to the village in 1951 by individuals to commemorate the Festival of Britain. They line the east side of the burn and are truly beautiful up the village in early springtime.
Ormonde Castle site
Ormonde Castle site
The west end of the bay in which lies Avoch is flanked by Ormonde Hill. This is the site of an ancient castle where Andrew de Moray raised the Standard before traveling south to join William Wallace at the battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. His name is not nearly as well known as that of Wallace but letters sent to Hamburg and Lubeck list them both as "leaders of the Army of the Realm of Scotland". In 1933 the Nationalist Party, together with locals, commemorated the Raising of the Standard - an event which has been repeated many times since. Wendy Woods unveiled a plaque there in 1980 but, as the hill was afforested, it became more difficult to find.
Ormonde Hill re-enactment
Ormonde Hill re-enactment
In 1997 the site of the castle was cleared and the 700th anniversary was celebrated with a re-enactment staged by the White Cockade Society. A new cairn was erected and the area is now much more accessible and the Saltire can be seen from all parts of the village.
View from the beach.
View from the beach.
Taken from the east side of the burn below the Henrietta Bridge, this picture shows houses on Long Road and Henrietta Street at the foot of Gallows Hill.

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