Tongue, Highland
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
| Ordnance Survey | |
|---|---|
| OS Grid Reference | NC591570 |
| Contemporary maps | Map sources (http://www.rhaworth.myby.co.uk/oscoor_a.htm?NC591570_region:GB_scale:25000) |
| Map from 1878 |
old-maps.co.uk (http://www.old-maps.co.uk/oldmaps/index_external.jsp?easting=259500&northing=956500&county=00xxx000) |
| Administration | |
| Council | Highland |
| Nation | Scotland |
| Other | |
| Lieutenancy area | Sutherland |
| Traditional county | Sutherland |
| Westminster constituency | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross |
| Holyrood constituency | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross |
| Post office and telephone | |
| Post town | Lairg |
| Postcode | IV27 |
| Dialling code | +44-1847 |
Tongue (Scottish Gaelic: Tunga) is a village on the north coast of the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the east shore of the Kyle of Tongue and north of the Ben Hope and Ben Loyal mountains. It is the main village in a series of Crofting Townships, that run through Coldbackie, Dalharn, Blandy, the harbour of Scullomie to the deserted township of Slettel. The name Tongue is from the Norse "Tunga", meaning a spit or tongue of land, which is in fact the terminal moraine of the Kyle of Tongue glacier.
Tongue is the site of the ruined eleventh century Norse Castle Varick. The village also saw a key battle between a Jacobite treasure ship and two ships of the Royal Navy in 1746, which resulted in the Jacobite crew trying to slip ashore with their gold. They were then caught by the Navy, supported by local people who were loyal to Hanover, which cost Bonnie Prince Charlie valuable support in the run-up to Culloden.
Tongue boasts two hotels, a youth hostel, a craft shop, a general store and garage, a bank and a post office. It is connected to the west side of the Kyle by a causeway, built in 1971.
