Poolewe

Poolewe (Scottish Gaelic Poll Iù) is a small village in Wester Ross in the North West Highlands of Scotland, about 75 miles (120 km) north-west from Inverness, by Loch Ewe. The River Ewe, one of the shortest in Scotland, joins the sea less than 1 mile (1.6 km) from Inverewe Garden, renowned for its subtropical plants. The village is surrounded by mountains and the sea.

Poolewe

View over Poolewe from Cliff Hill
Poolewe
Location within the Ross and Cromarty area
Population230 
OS grid referenceNG8580
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townACHNASHEEN
Postcode districtIV22
Dialling code01445
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

The village has an indoor heated swimming pool, a coffee shop, a hotel and a shop. Most of the arts events in the area take place in the village hall, as do the village markets.

Origin of the name

Literally the name means "the pool on the Ewe river". However, William J. Watson, in his 1904 Place Names of Ross and Cromarty, states that the village was called by the natives in his time "Abhainn Iù, Ewe River". Watson also says that he had taken "Ewe" (Gaelic iu), with hesitation, to be from Irish eo, "yew tree", though concedes that it may be a Pictish name.[1]

Climate

Poolewe has a relatively warm climate for its latitude, thanks to the Gulf Stream, which creates an almost sub-tropical climate. While the winter in Poolewe is generally cold and wet, the maritime location means that it receives only a few days of snow a year. The Northern Lights are visible on occasion, depending on the weather and time of year; most often in winter.

The Met Office operates a weather station at Poolewe[2] for which 30-year averages are available. As with the rest of the British Isles and Scotland, Poolewe experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. Its low-lying situation on the west coast tends to afford it some shelter from the harshness that can afflict the adjacent Highlands during the winter months.

Climate data for Poolewe, 6m asl, 1971-2000 (Extremes 1950-2014)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.7
(58.5)		 13.2
(55.8)		 18.1
(64.6)		 23.4
(74.1)		 27.3
(81.1)		 28.8
(83.8)		 29.2
(84.6)		 28.5
(83.3)		 25.0
(77.0)		 20.3
(68.5)		 18.5
(65.3)		 14.7
(58.5)		 29.2
(84.6)
Average high °C (°F) 7.1
(44.8)		 7.5
(45.5)		 8.7
(47.7)		 10.9
(51.6)		 14.3
(57.7)		 15.9
(60.6)		 17.5
(63.5)		 17.5
(63.5)		 15.1
(59.2)		 12.4
(54.3)		 9.2
(48.6)		 7.6
(45.7)		 11.3
(52.3)
Average low °C (°F) 2.1
(35.8)		 2.0
(35.6)		 2.9
(37.2)		 3.9
(39.0)		 6.4
(43.5)		 8.8
(47.8)		 11.0
(51.8)		 10.9
(51.6)		 9.0
(48.2)		 7.0
(44.6)		 4.0
(39.2)		 2.7
(36.9)		 5.4
(41.7)
Record low °C (°F) −9.5
(14.9)		 −10.7
(12.7)		 −9.6
(14.7)		 −5.2
(22.6)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 3.5
(38.3)		 2.8
(37.0)		 0.4
(32.7)		 −6.3
(20.7)		 −9.4
(15.1)		 −11.5
(11.3)		 −11.5
(11.3)
Source: YR.NO[3]

Notable residents

In August 2015, the BBC genealogy documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? revealed that Donald Mackenzie, great-great-great-grandfather of celebrity chef Paul Hollywood, had been a crofter in Poolewe. For a period of over a decade he had also been the post-runner between Poolewe and Dingwall, a distance of 60 miles (97 km), whilst aged over forty. Mackenzie lived into his eighties.[4]

References
  1. "Place Names M - Z". Gordon C Harrison. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  2. "Station map". MetOffice.
  3. "Poolewe 1971-2000 averages (1958-2014 Extremes)". YR.NO. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  4. "BBC One - Who Do You Think You Are?, Series 12, Paul Hollywood". Bbc.co.uk. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
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