Discover Contin: History and Trails

Contin offers two distinct themes for a stay: traces of cultural history and trails through woodland and heathland. If you are looking for a hotel in Contin, it may help to start by considering whether you would like to spend more time on local history, walks or both. The historic sites offer a different focus from the nature trails. This makes it possible to choose your destination based on the topics you would like to learn more about during your stay.

Historical traces in Contin

Contin Parish Church brings together several historical layers. It is a Category B listed church dating from the 18th century, with simple rendered masonry. At the same time, it has its origins in a pre-Reformation church and incorporates late medieval building elements. St Maelrubha founded the church in 690 AD on an island in the Blackwater (Abhainn Dubh). Its foundation story, medieval building elements and 18th-century church building therefore stand side by side; the church’s history is not limited to a single building phase.

At Preas Mairi are the remains of a Neolithic chambered tomb, around 5,000 years old. Among the stones still visible is one with three large, bowl-sized depressions. Compared with the church, the tomb takes you back to a much earlier period: here, the surviving stones and their striking depressions shape the impression, while the church brings together a long religious and architectural history.

The history of the Second World War is also among Contin’s historical themes. During 1942 and 1943, Norwegian Independent Mountain Companies were stationed in Contin, Dingwall and Nigg. The deployment thus relates to these three places. An online exhibition about the Norwegians in Contin during the Second World War is available on the ARCH website. Photographs from King Haakon’s visit in July 1943 show the king at a war memorial as troops paraded past. To explore this period, you can therefore draw on the history of the Norwegian companies, a digital exhibition and photographs of the king’s visit.

Contin’s Smiddy also adds to the picture of local history: it continued to be used as a smithy into the early part of the 21st century. This adds a more recent chapter of local craftsmanship to the early burial sites, the church’s history and the events of the Second World War.

Trails and landscapes around Contin

Time required is a clear point of difference between the trails. The Black Water Trail is 0.7 kilometres long and takes about 15 minutes. It passes through pine woodland and is mostly flat, with a wide, smooth gravel surface and a few short, gentle slopes. The View Rock Trail takes considerably longer: the 4.5-kilometre route passes through pine and heath woodland to a rocky viewpoint overlooking Strathconon and takes about two hours. This gives you the choice between a short walk and a longer hike with a clearly named viewpoint as its destination. If you are roughly planning your stay around the time required, these two routes take around 15 minutes and about two hours respectively.

Another scenic trail runs for 1.5 kilometres around the island of Contin. Its length falls between those of the two trails, offering a third distance to help you plan: the Black Water Trail is shorter, and the View Rock Trail is longer. The three routes also differ in their described landscapes and destinations—from pine woodland, through pine and heath woodland, to a rocky viewpoint over Strathconon.

Loch Achilty is in the area around Contin. It has a pebble beach and quiet picnic spots among birch trees, rowans and heath. With its shoreline, beach and picnic spots, the loch offers a different landscape from the woodland trails.

A local leaflet about the island of Contin introduces the island’s trails and also highlights the village’s history, folklore and wildlife. It combines trail guidance with cultural and natural themes. If you choose Contin for a stay, you can focus on the historic sites and different trail options according to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Isleornsay, Dunvegan, Letterfearn, Forsinard, Helmsdale, Altandhu, Tarskavaig, Thurso

For the main travel overview: Highland.