Gairloch is a small and vibrant community in the northwest Highlands. The area is named after the sea loch which is the focal point of the village. Geàrr Loch means ‘short loch’ in Gaelic. Gairloch village is made up of crofting townships surrounding the loch.
The Old Inn was the first lodging house in Gairloch and is one of its oldest buildings with a charming history. The inn is located a short walk from Gairloch’s traditional fishing port in Charlestown. These days the harbour is shared by fishing vessels, pleasure craft, and the occasional inquisitive seal or porpoise.
The Old Inn was built in the 1790s by the landowner Sir Hector Mackenzie of Gairloch. It was built as a changehouse, where travellers could rest their horses and receive hospitality. The original name was Taigh-Osta Cheann an T-Sail. Taigh-osta means hotel or inn and Ceann an t’Sail is the head of a saltwater loch.
For almost a century, the Inn was the most important hotel in Gairloch. In 1832, it played host to the famous Highland geologist, author and folklorist Hugh Miller. As a young man, he was a stonemason and was employed to enlarge the hotel kitchen. By the 1850s it had four comfortable bedrooms for visitors as well as stabling and servants quarters. The Innkeeper rented boats to guests for sea fishing.
Photo of bridge beside Old Inn 1912
In the 1870s, the much larger Gairloch Hotel was built to accommodate the increase in tourism to the Highlands, which had been made fashionable by Queen Victoria. The Old Inn closed as a hotel and became home to several families as well as the Post Office for Gairloch.
In the 1950s, the building was converted back to a hotel and renamed ‘The Old Inn’. Petrol pumps were installed outside to accommodate the new motor vehicles which passed by on the old road that ran between The Old Inn and the building that is now Inchgowan Gallery. The small footbridge over the Flowerdale Burn carried the main road into Gairloch until the 1980s when it was bypassed by the new bridge.
Gairloch’s breathtaking setting has long been a draw for visitors. The backdrop of the Torridon mountains, the sunsets across the Minch to Skye and the large, pristine sandy beaches are just some of the features which make Gairloch such a fantastic place to visit. Today The Old Inn is a popular destination for travellers who enjoy its picturesque location, historic features and its enduring hospitality.