The ships of the Arctic Convoy gathered in Loch Ewe, right next to the Arctic Convoy Museum. In Aultbea, this wartime history is joined by another layer of time: an 1881 map shows the place as a crofting settlement with an inn, a school, and a grain mill. Preserved settlement ruins and the Heather Trail in Laide & Aultbea Community Woodland add archaeological traces and a specific route to Loch Na Creige to the picture.
The Arctic Convoy and Local History
The connection between the museum and Loch Ewe is immediate: the ships of the Arctic Convoy gathered there, right next to the museum. This makes the history of the convoy a prominent subject for Aultbea, alongside the older traces of the place. The two topics tell different chapters: wartime events at sea and life in a crofting settlement.
The first edition of the six-inch-scale OS map from 1881 (Ross-shire, sheet XIX) depicts Aultbea as a crofting settlement with an inn, a school, and a grain mill. As a snapshot in time, it shows which buildings belonged to the place then; it is not a directory of present-day facilities. It therefore offers specific points of reference for local history rather than just a general overview.
Two buildings also represent clearly distinct historical dates. J. Hinton Gall built Aultbea Church in 1889. Aultbea Hall, by contrast, is a Romney prefabricated steel building; this type of building was developed by the British military from 1941 onwards. The dates therefore refer to different things: 1889 is the church’s year of construction, while the Hall is associated with the development of the building type.
The original settlement may have been on the slope north of the Allt Beithe. Several clearly preserved ruins of crofting homesteads can be found there, with corbel slots, enclosures, and sections of irregular boundary walls. The possible location of the old settlement remains a cautious interpretation; the surviving architectural features tell the story of settlement in the area.
Woodland and the Route to Loch Na Creige
Laide & Aultbea Community Woodland covers 86.6 hectares and includes two inland bodies of water. Within the woodland, the Heather Trail is a specifically named route with a clear destination: Loch Na Creige. A wildlife-watching hide in the woodland also looks out over the loch, offering another way to experience the water.
The Heather Trail is 1.4 kilometres long. It runs from a car park near the Old Smiddy B&B to Loch Na Creige. Its distance and endpoint give the route a clearly defined length and direction, without implying a walking time or a particular level of difficulty. Wheelchair and mobility scooter users can reach Loch Na Creige via the Heather Trail. As route details may change when work is carried out in the woodland, and accessibility information should be checked after path works, find out about the current route and access before your visit.
The trail and the wildlife-watching hide both relate to the same body of water, but serve different interests: the trail leads to Loch Na Creige, while the hide opens up a view across it. This makes it possible to plan a visit to the woodland around specific destinations, rather than relying only on its area of 86.6 hectares for orientation.
Community Activities and Visit Dates
The Aultbea Community Hub complements the historical and landscape themes with events and a weekly café. Regular community cinema screenings and whisky tastings are held there. The community café is open every Thursday. These regular activities may be important when choosing which days to visit; check the dates of screenings and tastings, as well as the café’s opening day, before your trip.
Aultbea therefore offers a mix of history, landscape, and community life: from the Arctic Convoy Museum and the historical map to the crofting ruins and the route by Loch Na Creige. Which aspect shapes your stay depends on whether you are particularly interested in maritime history, traces of settlement, a walk through the Community Woodland, or the activities at the Community Hub.
Discover more destinations: Kyle, Invergarry, Letterfearn, Rosemarkie, Helmsdale, Grantown On Spey, Contin, Achnasheen
For the broader travel overview: Highland.
