Ullapool History

Whist 1788 was a memorable year in the history of Ullapool, representing the beginning of the creation of the village as we know it in its present layout and patter, there was life in the are before the "British Socity for Exending the Fisheries and Improving the Sea Coasts of This Kingdom of Great Britain. The British Fisheries Society decided that Ullapool would be one of the their fishing stations and that a village would be laid out in the grid pattern we know so well today.

Whist 1788 was a memorable year in the history of Ullapool, representing the beginning of the creation of the village as we know it in its present layout and patter, there was life in the are before the "British Socity for Exending the Fisheries and Improving the Sea Coasts of This Kingdom of Great Britain. The British Fisheries Society decided that Ullapool would be one of the their fishing stations and that a village would be laid out in the grid pattern we know so well today.

The deed which recorded title of the land at Ullapool to the Society is dated 15th September 1804, and was conveyed by John Lord MacLeod , the heir to the thrids Earl of Cromartie, on 25th February 1788. He came into the ownership of Coigeach (which included most of Lochbroom and of course Ullapool) by Act of Parliament on 18th August 1884 which restored the estates which had been fortfited by his family after 1745 Rebellion.

The Cromartie Estates where permanently annexed to the Crown by an Act of Parliament of 1752. Cromartie had been a prominent Jacobite and spent hears in the Tower of London: indeed as he had raised troops for Priince Charlie from Coigeach soon after Culloden "a squadron of Kings vessels under command of Ferguson appear of the Lochbroom coast and dropped anchor" (Ardmair bay) "A strong party landed there and proceeded up the Strth as far as the residence of Mr Mackenzie of Llangwell, who hwas married to a near rlative of Earl George of Cromartie. Mr Mackenzie got out of the way; but the lady was obliged to attend some of her children who were confined by smallpox. The house was ransacked, a trunk containing valuable papers and among them a wadset of Langwell and Inchvannie, from the Earl of Cromartie, was burned before her eyes: and about fifty head of black cattle were mangled by their swords and driven away to the ships.

As far back as 198 Sir George Machkenzie of Tarbat "in association with Sir William Binning, set in motion a prototype fishing station at Ullapool with the intension of developing the export of salt herring from Wester Ross to Stockholm, London and France. The effort was renewed as dozes years later. In 1712 he express his frustrations pointing out that herring were so abundant in Lochbroom that the people were using them for manure, yet hardly a Scottish boat was to be seen. Capital, transport and the salt tax were great impediments to development. In fact it was not until growth of Glasgow as a port, and as an exporter of salt and dried fish across Atllantic for slave trade, that the commercial fishing of the remote north west became feasible. (Richards and cClough: Cromartie 1989)

Jean Dunlop's book on The Brittish Fisheries Society, has a plate of a survey of 1775 by William Morrison of Ullapool farm. Ullapool is spelt "Ullapooll" and there seems to be evidence of houses or buildings in groups and some strung out. There appear to be about twenty two buildings and a road round where West Argyle Street and West Terrace pressently are; the pier did not then exist but off shore is written "In this Bay Ships frequently Anchor in 5,6 and 7 fathoms". Twenty -two buildinds a mill at the river and roads in 1775 appear to indicate a resonably substantial settlement: obviously the fishing settlement established by Tarbatand Binning in 1698 had left more than a passing mark, indeed it was probably still functioning at fairly low key.

Can we go further back thatn 1698 as far as Ullapool is concerned? Well, if we examine Atlas Novus, published in 1654 by joanem Blaeu, there are 49 maps of Scotland. His book is a compilation of maps of Scotland. His book is a compilation of maps and of interest are two, one of which can definitely be ascribed to Timothy Pont and is entitled "Aedudae Insulae Sive Hebrides. The Western Isles of Scotland of Scotand part o the mailand is shown and although the details is sketchy there is clearly shown "Ullabill on "Loch Breyn" "Ardmery" on "Loch Caneyn" Innerlael, and Glastullich, the area is clearly marked Coygach.

Source:
"Ullapool" Paul Phillips

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