Tongue, Highland

Tongue is a village in the United Kingdom on the north coast of Scotland in the former county of Sutherland and the present management unit ( Council Area ), Highland, with around 500 inhabitants.

Geography and location

Tongue is on the same bay, the Kyle of Tongue, in the far north of the Highlands between Durness (about 47 km) to the west, the town of Thurso (about 70 km) to the east and Lairg (about 62 km) to the south. The village lies at the foot of the 764 meter high Ben Loyal and is the closest settlement to the northerly Munro, which at 927 meters uplifting Ben Hope and the west subsequent hole Hope. At the parish ( parish ) Tongue still belongs to the 8 km north hamlet of Skullomie with a small fishing harbor, the three - but unpopulated - Rabbit Islands in Tongue Bay and some scattered minor cargo or farms.

Transport links

The place is good transport to the north west of Scotland opened up. It is located on two streets of the highest British main category (similar to German roads), the A838 Lairg after Tongue and 208 km long A836 Tain about Ullapool to the extreme northeastern tip of mainland Britain by John o 'Groats. However, these main roads are only one lane in expanded since the Highland Clearances extremely sparsely populated Sutherland with occasional rest stops. The nearest regional airport is about in Inverness and the northernmost British motorway ( M90 ) already ends in excess of 300 km south of Perth. As the entire north -west of the Highland district is not connected to the British rail network Tongue; The nearest train stations are situated in Thurso, Lairg on the already finished until 1874 Far North Line.

Landmarks, tourism and economic

Scenic is particularly the Ben Hope with its 800 -meter-high western wall an impressive natural phenomenon, the rising is much more powerful almost immediately from the Atlantic, than its height suggests. But even the modest Ben Loyal is a fruitful destination for climbers and hikers. For robust swimmers and walkers is located north of the center, close to the Good Coldbackie an extensive beach. Furthermore, there are in the area around Tongue some idyllic lakes ( hole ), of which particularly the Loch Hope is good for boat fishing, especially for trout.

In Tongue, several shops, several hotels and Bed and Breakfast offers as well as a youth hostel.

Apart from tourism, fishing and small farms are the main sources of income in the region.

Sons of Tongue

• George W. Campbell, American politician ( Democratic- Republican), 1814 Finance