Clachan Church

Clachan has been a place of continual worship for 800 years although the current church dates from 1817. It has been at the heart of some of Scotland’s most iconic history.

Clachans lairds, the Mackenzie’s of Ballone, lost land and fortune fighting for the Stuart Kings. Oliver Cromwell’s and “Butcher” Cumberland’s troops each laid waste to farmland around Clachan Church.

In 1746 Clachans minister rescued Jacobite prisoners from death and deportation. The Mackenzie monuments can be seen in the graveyard.

In 1773 emigrants from Lochbroom sailed in the ‘Hector’ to Pictou, Nova Scotia. Communion was held outside the church before they were rowed out to the ship anchored in Loch Broom. The two communities retain strong links to this day.

The 1820s saw many townships around Clachan cleared to make way for sheep. Clachans then minister, Thomas Ross, allowed those cleared to settle and build new homes on glebe land.

The Church was purchased by the local community in 2018 and extensive renovations are planned over the next 5 years.