Avoch
Avoch is a harbour-village situated on the south-east coastline of the Black Isle, on the Moray Firth. Ormond Castle or Avoch Castle was a fortress improved the site and also worked as a royal castle to William the Lion; passed on to the Morays of Petty then 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. Legend 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 however he surrendered his castle as well as control of Avoch in 1568 when he was exiled due to his part in helping the escape of Mary Queen of Scots. The castle as well as town then passed to Andrew Munro of Milntown. Intrepid Scottish-Canadian traveler 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 Sea in 1793, retired to Avoch in 1812 where he passed away in 1820 and was buried in the old Avoch Parish cemetery. Avoch was the location of Rosehaugh (Pittanochtie) Home, an enforcing mansion house till it was knocked down in 1959. A substantial home existed on this website because 1790. Craigie Well at Avoch on the Black Isle has offerings of both coins as well as clouties. Rags, wool and human hair were also used as charms against sorcery, and as tokens of penenace and also fulfilment of a pledge (Sharp 1998). Much of Avoch's wealth has originated from its angling market, as well as it stays a significant contributor to the village economy, with a number of large fishing watercrafts owned or crewed from Avoch and an energetic fishermen's co-operative based there. The harbour is no longer used by the larger watercrafts for landing yet is made use of by recreation craft and also boats taking site visitors to see the dolphins in the internal Moray Firth at Chanonry Factor. In addition to the angling market, commuting to Inverness and tourist give earnings to the town. Lazy Corner, named for the youngsters that gathered there to pass the time, has been relocated by the road widening in the Eighties, and beautified by a sculpture meant to add personality to the town. It is still a meeting place.