Loch Seaforth () is a sea loch in the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides ( ) or Western Isles ( , or ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (), is an Archipelago, island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islan ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. It consists of three distinct sections; the most seaward is aligned northwest–southeast, a middle section is aligned northeast–southwest and the inner and most northerly section is aligned east–west. The southern stretch of the loch seaward from Bowglass forms the boundary between Lewis and Harris and was until 1975 the boundary between the traditional counties of

Ross and Cromarty Ross and Cromarty (), is an area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In modern usage, it is a registration county and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. Between 1889 and 1975 it was a Shires of Scotland, county. Historical ...

and

Inverness-shire Inverness-shire () or the County of Inverness, is a Counties of Scotland, historic county in Scotland. It is named after Inverness, its largest settlement, which was also the county town. Covering much of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands and s ...

. The settlement of Rhenigidale lies near the mouth of the loch whilst the settlement of Maaruig lies on Loch Maraig, an embayment on the western side of Loch Seaforth. Further settlement is found around the small bays at Ardvourlie opposite Seaforth Island which sits in the midst of the loch at the point where inland it turns towards the northeast. The crofting township of Arivruaich lies beside a further embayment known as Tob Cheann Tarabhaigh. The head of the loch is to be found 5 km further east at Ceann Shiphoirt. The loch forms the entire western coast of the relatively isolated Pairc peninsula. is also the name of two Western Isles ships. The 1947 MacBrayne mailboat which linked

Stornoway Stornoway (; ) is the main town, and by far the largest, of the Outer Hebrides (or Western Isles), and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it the third-largest island town in Scotlan ...

with Mallaig and Kyle of Lochalsh from 1947 until 1972. On 22 March 1973 she ran aground on Cleit Rock in the Sound of Gunna (between

Tiree Tiree (; , ) is the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The low-lying island, southwest of Coll, has an area of and a population of around 650. The land is highly fertile, and crofting, alongside tourism, and fishing are ...

and Coll) and was subsequently scrapped. The name has been given to the new Calmac car ferry which entered service on the Ullapool to

crossing in 2015.

Footnotes

Seaforth Seaforth Isle of Lewis {{WesternIsles-geo-stub