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 Folk
Alexander MacKenzie by Thomas Lawrence(c.1800)
Alexander MacKenzie by Thomas Lawrence(c.1800)
He was born in Stornoway although his actual date of birth is not known. Alexander Mackenzie was the noted explorer and trader in Canada who gave his name to the Mackenzie River which he discovered in 1789. In April 1812 he married Geddes Mackenzie a 14 year old bride. Geddes along with her twin sister had inherited an estate of Avoch. Alexander and Geddes Mackenzie spent part of the year in London and lived the rest of the time in Avoch. They had three children, a daughter born in 1816 and two sons born in 1818 and 1819. Alexander took an interest in many local activities and improvements. He died near Dunkeld on a return journey in 1820 to Avoch from Edinburgh where he had been seeking medical advice for failing health. He is buried at the old cemetery, Parish Church, Avoch.
James Douglas Fletcher
James Douglas Fletcher
He was the son of James Fletcher, a native of Elgin who made his fortune in Liverpool. J D Fletcher's grandmother, Isobel Fletcher, had married William Jack, in Elgin, and they had six children, one of whom was James Jack. When Isobel Fletcher died in 1855 she had requested in her Will that all her sons should change their surname from Jack to Fletcher, and so James Jack became James Fletcher. By the time J D Fletcher was born, in 1857, the family surname was officially Fletcher. It has never been proved that William Jack had any connection to Avoch, but it is said that the Fletcher family believed this to be true. [Above information courtesy of Jane Patience, Avoch.] Photo is courtesy of Lodge Rosehaugh, Avoch.
Rev David Sutherland
Rev David Sutherland

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