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Tongue Area, Sutherland

Including: Melness, Talmine, and Port Vasco

Telephone Code (+44) 1847 from outwith Britain - From within Britain 01847

"Tongue" was named by the Vikings, from the Old Norse "Tunga." Contrary to popular belief, it does not refer to the shape of the Kyle of Tongue (though the kyle can be described as "tongue-shaped"), But although the Norse probably lived here between the 900s and 1200s, nothing certain has been found of their settlement. That particular piece of land, on which the village and the kyle are located, is the terminal moraine of the Kyle of Tongue glacier.

Tongue is in the heart of Mackay country and is situated on the North Coast of the beautiful Scottish Highlands; midway between Cape Wrath and John O'Groats, and also between the challenging golf links at Durness and Reay.

In Gaelic - 'Tunga' indicates the village; whereas Caol Thunga, indicates the kyle. The village is also known as 'Ceann Tàile' and formerly as 'Circeabol'. Tongue itself is an attractive village with some imposing stone buildings. Among these are large hotels like the Tongue and Ben Loyal, as well as the Royal Bank of Scotland. Views from the village are dominated by the bulk of Ben Loyal to the south and by Caisteal Bharraigh and the truly beautiful Kyle of Tongue to the west.

Ben Hope (Scotland's most northerly Munro) is nearby, and the spectacular hill-climb up Ben Loyal (2,700ft) starts just 5 minutes away. The parish of Tongue has three burial grounds: Melness, Skerray & Tongue Parish Churchyard – these have all been photographed and available in Burial Grounds.
Caisteal Bharraigh, Tongue
General Info - Tongue and Bettyhill

You may also be interested in -

  • Services In Tongue Area

    Arts and Crafts Shops/Galleries

    Kyle Gallery (Original Paintings), 1 Glebelands, Tongue. Tel: 611 231
    Weavers Craft ShopWoodend, Tongue. Tel: 611 288

    Bed and Breakfasts/Guest Houses

    Rhian Guest House Rhian Cottage, Tongue Tel: 611 257

  • Tongue Youth Hostel (SYHA)

    Tongue is the main village in a series of crofting townships, that run through Coldbackie, Dalharn, Blandy, the harbour of Scullomie to the deserted township of Slettel.

  • Port Vasco, by Tongue

    The end of the road. Port Vasco is a natural harbour, set in amongst the wonderfully wild Sutherland landscape.
    In the 19th century it was once a very busy harbour in the export of high quality stone and slate.

  • Castle Varrich

    The coastal sleepy village of Tongue centre of the "Mackay clan territory" looks west over the Kyle of Tongue. Nestled within the sleepy village of Castle Varrich is seen in silhouette in the picture from the Tongue main page. It is a 14th century clan stronghold that offers fine views after a one mile tramp from the footpath beside the Bank in Tongue.

  • Ben Loyal, Art Gallery, Craft Shop

    Ben Loyal

  • Lochan Hakel

    This provides lots of interest. The Mackays captured the French and the gold from the Melness shipwreck here. This all happened three weeks before Culloden and was seen as a crucial "final straw" for the demoralised and hungry supporters of Charles Edward Stuart.

  • Talmine Beach and Harbour

    The Harbour at Talmine has a slipway suitable for launching small boats but it is very long and very steep. You often see people fishing from the rocks and as the harbour is normally very clean and sandy, it has been known for people to swim there when it is quiet, often using the harbour wall as a launching site when the tide is in!