Munlochy is a small village on the B9161, west of Avoch. It sits at the head of a deep bay, guarded at its mouth by Wood Hill to the north and Craigiehowe to the south. Both are rounded, densely wooded hills, though Craigiehowe has a more rugged coastline with several interesting caves. At the head of the bay you can see the ruins of an ancient tide mill.
The village is surrounded by rich farmland and woodland, and the countryside around it holds several historic buildings, including Old Allangrange House and, near it, the ruins of Allangrange Chapel.
Munlochy Bay
Munlochy Bay is perhaps best known for its birds. Its extensive sand and mud flats and areas of salt marsh are a haven for a huge variety of waders, ducks and migrating birds, and it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The Clootie Well
The Clootie Well, on the A832 just above the village, is of much more ancient origin. It was once said to be the home of a fairy, to whom a gift of cloth was given before drinking its health-giving, luck-bringing water. The well was later adopted by the church as St Boniface’s Well. It is a healing well rather than a wishing well: someone with an injured hand might once have left a glove, believing the hand would heal as the glove rotted away. The trees and bushes around it are festooned with rags, and a walk into the woods beyond is a somewhat eerie experience. Please do not add synthetic cloth: it never rots.