Kinlochbervie
| Kinlochbervie | |
| Scottish Gaelic: Ceann Loch Biorbhaidh | |
  Kinlochbervie |
|
| Population | 480 (2001) |
|---|---|
| Council area | Highland |
| Lieutenancy area | Sutherland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LAIRG |
| Postcode district | IV27 |
| Dialling code | 01971 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross |
| Scottish Parliament | Caithness, Sutherland and Ross |
Coordinates: 58°28′N 5°03′W / 58.46°N 5.05°W
Kinlochbervie (Scottish Gaelic: Ceann Loch Biorbhaidh) is a harbour village in the north west of Sutherland, in the Highland region of Scotland. In 2001 the population was 480, down from 920 in 1881.
The majority of local industry is based upon fishing. Although the fleet of ships actually based in Kinlochbervie is rather small, many ships from the east coast of Scotland land their catches in Kinlochbervie.
The dominant feature of the town is the large fish handling depot. From here catches are loaded onto large refrigerated lorries for transport by road throughout Europe. The importance of this link to the outside world to the local economy means that Kinlochbervie has surprisingly good road links, given its remote location and rugged local geography.
Inhabitants of Kinlochbervie are sometimes collectively referred to as "Greeks" by the residents of surrounding villages, for reasons now largely unknown. The village itself is sometimes referred to as "KLB". The most common surname in the area is "Morrison".
The local scenery is a tourist attraction and is also an important part of the local economy. There are many holiday homes and small bed and breakfast businesses in the area. The largest in the village is Kinlochbervie Hotel.
Approximately five miles drive, and four miles walk north of Kinlochbervie itself lies Sandwood Bay, a scenic beach. Other scenic areas close to the village include Oldshoremore beach and Rhiconich.
On Sunday 20 January 2002 the first airing of Time Team's excavation of the area began. Divers from the programme's team went to explore the waters off the coast of Kinlochbervie, about twenty metres below the sea’s surface after a shipwreck and artefacts were discovered by divers from RAF Lossemouth. The artefacts found included two anchors, five iron canons and Spanish pottery from the 16th century.
The most northerly port on the west coast of Scotland, the village is extremely remote and was short-listed by the Oxford English Dictionary as a definition for the word. Both the bank and the cinema have to be transported to the village via lorries.
Sporting achievements
The village also has a rather successful amateur football team, which competes in the local amateur league along with Durness, Tongue, Bettyhill, Lochinver and Melvich. In 2005 they won the league trophy, the prestigious Stafford Cup, for the first time in many years. The team also won The Guy Cup in the same year by winning a tournament of local teams. This was the first time a team west of the Kyle of Tongue had won it.
The sport of shinty has recently been resurrected in Kinlochbervie by the local school, shinty was once played across North Sutherland until the 20th century but never competitively. Kinlochbervie Camanachd Club now compete at junior level against teams from across the Highlands.
Famous people
Robert McBeath - Recipient of Victoria Cross
Andy Morrison - Footballer
Cultural references
The village features prominently in Irish writer Brian Friel's play Faith Healer. Sailor Frank Dye started his mammoth 650 mile journey to Iceland in a small Wayfarer dinghy from the village in 1963.
Gallery
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Kinlochbervie Harbour
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Loch Clash
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Oldshoremore Beach