Friends of Loch Hourn

The purpose of The Friends of Loch Hourn is the advancement of environmental protection and ecological sustainability with particular reference to Loch Hourn and the surrounding area.

Friends of Loch Hourn is a non-hierarchical, unincorporated community group in one of the most remote areas on the west coast. The loch itself is a dramatic, deep fiord-like sea loch, surrounded by several Munro peaks; it is in the heart of what used to be called the ‘rough bounds’, famous for its wilderness, stark beauty and sparse population. The group came together in response to the planned expansion of a large open-pen salmon farm. Awareness of the ecological impact that this farm has had on the marine environment over the last 30 years has finally dawned on the local community who have witnessed the slow decline in marine life and biodiversity in the loch.

Friends of Loch Hourn was established in 2020 and now has over 100 members made up of residents, regular visitors, landowners, fishermen and others that have a direct interest in the long-term future of the loch. The main aims and objectives involve the conservation and protection of the marine environment; to promote and encourage the implementation of sustainable planning policies and to disseminate information amongst members and the wider public regarding development plans and activities pertaining to Loch Hourn that could affect the marine environment.

This is as close to an island community as it gets on the mainland. The only vehicle access into Loch Hourn is from the north along eighteen miles of single track road from the A87 at Shiel Bridge. Arnisdale and Corran are the two small crofting townships at the end of the road on the north shore, in the heart of Loch Hourn. The all-year-round population of these two villages is in the order of thirty-five people, not including ten remote settlements, scattered along the loch shore that are only accessible by boat.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To protect and enhance the marine environment of Loch Hourn and the surrounding area;

To encourage the preservation, conservation and improvement of features of public and environmental interest within the above area;

To promote and encourage the implementation of sustainable planning policies and activities appropriate to the above area which incorporate the precautionary principle;

To disseminate information amongst members and the wider public regarding development plans and activities pertaining to Loch Hourn that could affect the marine ecology;

To stimulate public interest in these aims by means of meetings, notices and other forms of publicity in order to represent our interests to the Glenelg and Arnisdale Community Council, the Highland Region Planning Authority, SEPA and others;

To co-operate with other groups and networks in order to promote the foregoing aims and objectives.