Breakish: Coastal Views and Early History

Breakish combines a striking coastal setting with archaeological remains and opportunities to get creative. From the Ashaig monument, views stretch across the surrounding area to the mainland and Applecross; at the same time, evidence from several centuries can be found together there. If you are looking for holiday accommodation in Breakish, you can focus your trip more on history and landscape or on crafts and walking routes—depending on the kind of discovery that interests you most.

Ashaig: Traces by the Tidal Shore

The Ashaig monument comprises the remains of an early medieval church, a burial ground, a shell midden and a holy well. The features probably date from the 7th to the 13th century. The monument lies approximately 70 metres from the shore of Ob Breakish, a tidal bay. The archaeological evidence is set in a striking coastal landscape, with far-reaching views across the surrounding area, the mainland and Applecross.

Cill Ashik, also known as the “Church of the Ferry,” survives as a grass-covered platform, up to 0.8 metres high, at the highest point of the burial ground. Tobar Aiseig, also called Tobar Ashik, survives as the foundation of a wellhouse or as a paved area around an earlier stone-lined spring. Ashaig Well is an important site associated with the introduction of Christianity in the 7th century. The names and the different surviving forms give these early remains specific points of reference.

Cairn, Earthwork and Industrial History

Liveras Cairn is a nationally significant Neolithic chambered cairn by the roadside; it was discovered in 1832. Another archaeological feature in Breakish is a long, C-shaped earthwork. It measures approximately 15 × 14 metres and is aligned roughly northwest to southeast. A stone axe was also found in Upper Breakish in 1957 and donated to Glasgow Museums.

The Marble Line footbridge also points to the area’s industrial history: it was built on the site of an earlier bridge that served the marble industry in Strath. Together, these places and finds show different sides of Breakish—from religious associations and archaeological features to local industrial history.

Walking Routes and Creative Crafts

The Waterloo-Breakish-Ashaig Route is one of the routes signposted by the Highland Access Project. Another project connects Broadford Pier and Ashaig Well with footpaths and a footbridge. The path in Lower Breakish reopened after improvements in late 2023. These three examples offer different starting points for planning a trip: a named route, a link made up of footpaths and a bridge, and the reopening of a path at that time.

Craft workshops offer another way to explore a subject. All Things Coorie in Breakish runs in-person workshops for all experience levels in small groups of at least two and no more than four people. The Kraft Kabin in Breakish offers beginner crochet classes. Alongside exploring the landscape and history, you can also choose hands-on, creative activities.

Choosing Breakish for Your Holiday

When looking for holiday accommodation, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: are you most drawn to the coastal scenery and archaeological evidence, or would you also like to include crafts in your trip plans? In Breakish, the themes range from the remains at Ashaig to the cairn and earthwork, as well as the history of the marble industry. The workshops add a hands-on activity to these historical and landscape-related points of interest. Tailor your accommodation search to whichever aspects of the area interest you most.

Explore more destinations: Duirinish, Greshornish, Rosemarkie, Lybster, Dornie, Muir Of Ord, Fort William, Shieldaig.

For the broader travel overview: Highland.