Achfary
Encyclopedia
Achfary is a hamlet in the Scottish
council area of Highland. To the east of the village lies Loch nan Ealachan.
It is owned by the Grosvenor Estate (the Duke of Westminster) and is renowned for its unusual black and white telephone box
, erected in the 1960s. In response to a campaign by the Duke to keep the box in place, a spokesman for BT said in October 2008 that it had been "used for three chargeable calls last year and 29 in all. The other 26 were free." Despite this, it remains one of the least-known villages in Scotland.
Achfary post office
opened on 1 September 1956, and is still open to this day.
The Reay Forest Estate's offices were, until recently, located in part of the house closest to the village hall; now it is housed in the top floor of the newly-erected Steading Building, a two-storey office and workshed arrangement with its design based on the farmhouse previously occupying that spot. The front of the building contains a plaque that was first housed in a church, which was later closed and the plaque moved to the farmhouse. Following the demolition of the farmhouse, which, at that time, was used as a workshop of sorts, it was decided that the Steading Building should contain this plaque as well.
Achfary's village hall, commonly used for functions, also houses its school, Achfary Primary. The school, while not the smallest in the area, is among the smallest in Britain, with only eight pupils as of May 2009. Two of these are scheduled to leave in the summer, and a further three are transfers from neighbouring Scourie
Primary, a school caught in an argument between various members of its community, leading to the temporary transfer of many of its pupils to other nearby primary schools.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
council area of Highland. To the east of the village lies Loch nan Ealachan.
It is owned by the Grosvenor Estate (the Duke of Westminster) and is renowned for its unusual black and white telephone box
Red telephone box
The red telephone box, a public telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar, and despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, red boxes can still be seen in many places and in current or former...
, erected in the 1960s. In response to a campaign by the Duke to keep the box in place, a spokesman for BT said in October 2008 that it had been "used for three chargeable calls last year and 29 in all. The other 26 were free." Despite this, it remains one of the least-known villages in Scotland.
Achfary post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
opened on 1 September 1956, and is still open to this day.
The Reay Forest Estate's offices were, until recently, located in part of the house closest to the village hall; now it is housed in the top floor of the newly-erected Steading Building, a two-storey office and workshed arrangement with its design based on the farmhouse previously occupying that spot. The front of the building contains a plaque that was first housed in a church, which was later closed and the plaque moved to the farmhouse. Following the demolition of the farmhouse, which, at that time, was used as a workshop of sorts, it was decided that the Steading Building should contain this plaque as well.
Achfary's village hall, commonly used for functions, also houses its school, Achfary Primary. The school, while not the smallest in the area, is among the smallest in Britain, with only eight pupils as of May 2009. Two of these are scheduled to leave in the summer, and a further three are transfers from neighbouring Scourie
Scourie
Scourie , historically spelled "Scoury", is a village on the north west coast of Scotland, about halfway between Ullapool and Durness. It is in the traditional county of Sutherland, now part of the Highland council area, and the population of the village is just over two hundred. It is known as the...
Primary, a school caught in an argument between various members of its community, leading to the temporary transfer of many of its pupils to other nearby primary schools.