Ballachulish: Slate History and Gin Experiences

Ballachulish combines a defining slate history with trails, viewpoints and special gin experiences. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage in Ballachulish can choose their accommodation based on which of these experiences they want to shape their stay: discoveries connected with the former slate quarrying, a walk with views over the village, the Morvern Hills and the islands in Loch Leven, or a guided tasting at Pixel Spirits.

Experience the Slate History First-Hand

The Ballachulish slate quarries at East and West Laroch operated from around 1693 to 1955. The quarries feature terraced extraction areas and an inclined railway built from slate rubble. The larger of the quarries is partly flooded. As a result, both the traces of the work and the present-day appearance of the site form part of this place's character.

Further evidence of the past includes the slate workers' boathouses at Cnap an Tairbh. Three groups of storage buildings remain there, with thick walls made from blue-grey Ballachulish slate and roofs made of slate slabs. The Slate Arch also stands at the eastern end of the village. Originally, two arches spanned the old road there and carried quarry railways or inclined railways from the slate quarry.

Trails with Different Perspectives

The Ballachulish Trail passes through the old slate quarry and follows the signposted Brecklet Path towards the upper part of the quarry. The trail offers views over the village, the Morvern Hills and the islands in Loch Leven. This makes it possible to combine an interest in the slate history with an appreciation of the landscape, without limiting the day to a single experience.

A pleasant path leads from the quarry entrance to the Slate Arch, where there is an information board. This section is suitable for anyone who wants to combine a specific historical connection with a manageable discovery. If you are travelling with children, such visible details can help bring the history of the place to life as part of your shared day, without having to turn it into a fixed programme.

Gin from the West Highlands

Ballachulish also offers a tangible taste of the local food and drink scene. Pixel Spirits offers a 1.5-hour gin tasting and distillery tour. During the experience, three different gins are tasted with selected mixers and garnishes. The tour complements the historical impressions with a contemporary craft experience.

Pixel Spirits produces small-batch gins and rums in North Ballachulish, inspired by the wild beauty of the West Highlands. The Pixel Spirits Gin & Rum School also offers guided gin and rum distillation. Visitors create their own drink from more than 100 botanicals – from the distillation process to a wax-sealed bottle. Anyone interested in flavours and production processes will find a distinctly different way to experience Ballachulish here than on a tour of the slate quarry.

Which Accommodation Suits Your Plans

When looking for accommodation in Ballachulish, you can therefore choose a holiday apartment or holiday cottage according to your own plans for each day and the interests of your travelling group.

Find more ideas for places to visit at Croy, Castletown, Tongue, Invergarry, Isle Of Skye, Golspie, Roybridge and Greshornish.

For the overarching travel overview: Highland.