Avoch is a harbour-village situated on the south-east shore of the Black Isle, on the Moray Firth. Ormond Castle or Avoch Castle was a fortress built on the site as well as acted as an imperial castle to William the Lion; passed on to the Morays of Petty after that Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway, upon his marriage to Joanna de Moravia in 1362. Offspring of Archibald, were to take the title of Earl of Ormonde from the castle. Tale has it that the town was founded by survivors of the Spanish Armada. Avoch remained in the control of David Chalmers, Lord Ormond from 1560/61 yet he waived his castle and control of Avoch in 1568 when he was exiled because of his component in helping the retreat of Mary Queen of Scots. The castle and also village after that passed to Andrew Munro of Milntown. Intrepid Scottish-Canadian explorer Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the first European to explore the great Canadian river now known as the Mackenzie River, crossing North America twice, to the Arctic Ocean in 1789 and also Pacific Ocean in 1793, retired to Avoch in 1812 where he passed away in 1820 and was hidden in the old Avoch Church churchyard. Avoch was the location of Rosehaugh (Pittanochtie) Home, an imposing mansion house until it was demolished in 1959. A substantial house existed on this website because 1790. Craigie Well at Avoch on the Black Island has offerings of both coins as well as clouties. Cloths, woollen as well as human hair were also used as beauties against sorcery, and also as tokens of penenace as well as fulfilment of an oath (Sharp 1998). Much of Avoch's wide range has come from its fishing market, as well as it remains a considerable contributor to the village economic situation, with a number of huge fishing watercrafts owned or crewed from Avoch as well as an energetic fishermen's co-operative based there. The harbour is no longer made use of by the bigger boats for landing however is utilized by recreation craft and watercrafts taking site visitors to see the dolphins in the internal Moray Firth at Chanonry Factor. Along with the angling market, commuting to Inverness as well as tourist offer revenue to the village. Lazy Corner, called for the youngsters that collected there to kill time, has actually been moved by the road widening in the Eighties, and also improved by a sculpture intended to include character to the town. It is still a gathering place.