{{Use British English|date=May 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox UK place | country = Scotland | official_name = Roshven | scots_name = | gaelic_name = Roisbheinn | population = | static_image_name = Marino Lodge, Roshven - geograph.org.uk - 371395.jpg | static_image_caption = Marino Lodge | os_grid_reference = NM7078 | map_type = Lochaber | coordinates = {{coord|56.838|-5.758|display=inline,title}} | civil_parish = Arisaig and Moidart | unitary_scotland = Highland | lieutenancy_scotland = Inverness | constituency_westminster = Ross, Skye and Lochaber | constituency_scottish_parliament = Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch | post_town = LOCHAILORT | postcode_district = PH38 | postcode_area = PH | dial_code = 01687 }}{{Short description|Township in Scottish Highlands}} '''Roshven''' ({{langx|gd|Roisbheinn}}) is a township located on the eastern shoreline of Loch Ailort, in Lochaber, in the council area of Highland, Scotland. Towering above it is Rois-bheinn, the highest hill in the area.
==History== thumb|left|Grounds of what was the Roshven House, home to the Blackburns Historically, the hamlet was named '''Irin'''. Ranald Macdonald, younger brother of Donald Macdonald 4th of Kinlochmoidart, was granted the tack of Irin from Clanranald in 1749.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} According to the 1841 census, the main house by the burn was occupied by a Mary Anderson, originally from Kinlochailort.<ref name="Dickson2009">{{cite book|last=Dickson|first=Joshua|title=The Highland bagpipe: music, history, tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JOfk2YpundEC&pg=PA151|accessdate=2 February 2011|date=9 October 2009|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-0-7546-6669-1|page=151}}</ref> In 1854, Jemima Blackburn, an artist, and her husband, Hugh Blackburn, professor of mathematics at the University of Glasgow, bought the Roshven Estate, from Doctor Donald Martin of the Beallach family. Blackburn was noted for capturing the area's scenery, flora and fauna in her nationally famous illustrations. She was particularly adept at painting birds and flowers.<ref name="Miers2006">{{cite book|last=Miers|first=Richenda|title=Scotland's highlands & islands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OvF3I6_2ZlEC&pg=PA117|accessdate=2 February 2011|date=1 September 2006|publisher=New Holland Publishers|isbn=978-1-86011-340-6|page=117}}</ref>
Roshven Estate covered some 4500 acres. They subsequently renovated the Georgian house in the hamlet.<ref name="Miers2006"/> Their homes in Glasgow and at Roshven became a focus for visits from some of the most celebrated figures of the century including John Ruskin, Sir John Everett Millais, Anthony Trollope, the Duke of Argyll, Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Lister, Professor Helmholtz, Lord Kelvin and James Clerk-Maxwell, Jemima's first cousin.
Roshven was originally intended to be the terminus for the Mallaig Extension Railway. Opposition from landowners resulted in the West Highland Line being constructed to Mallaig instead, with the railway opening in April 1901. Roshven has therefore never been served by railway.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dickson |first=Neil K |date=November 2019 |editor-last=Reynolds |editor-first=Paul |title=Professor Blackburn of Roshven and the West Highland Railway |url=https://rchs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Journal-236-Nov-2019.pdf |journal=The Railway & Canal Historical Society |volume=39 |issue=236 |pages=4}}</ref>
On 12 January 1894, around 11.50 pm, the aftershock of an earthquake measuring 4 on the Richter scale was experienced at Roshven and the settlements of Arisaig and Glenmoidart.<ref name="Davison2009">{{cite book|last=Davison|first=Charles|title=A History of British Earthquakes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O7zGmg19a70C&pg=PA58|accessdate=2 February 2011|date=30 July 2009|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-14099-7|page=58}}</ref>
==Geography and climate== thumb|left|Two burns meet at Roshven thumb|left|Anchorage point near Roshven Farm Roshven is situated in the Highlands of Scotland, in the area of Lochaber. It lies on the southeastern bank of Loch Ailort along the A861 road, southwest of the settlement of Inverailort and east of Glenuig.<ref>{{cite map|title=Google Maps|publisher=Google<!--|access-date=2 February 2011-->}}</ref> Boats can be moored in shallow water on the Loch near Roshven House.<ref name="ThomsonLarmor1912">{{cite book|last1=Thomson|first1=James|last2=Larmor|first2=Sir Joseph|title=Collected papers in physics and engineering|url=https://archive.org/details/collectedpapers00larmgoog|accessdate=2 February 2011|year=1912|publisher=University press}}</ref> At one time there were plans to build a terminal and a pier at Roshven.<ref name="ThomasPaterson1984">{{cite book|last1=Thomas|first1=John|last2=Paterson|first2=Alan J. S.|title=The West Highland Railway|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7cJIAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=2 February 2011|year=1984|publisher=D. St. John Thomas|isbn=978-0-946537-14-3|page=44}}</ref> The area is mountainous, Rois-Bheinn being the highest and most dominant mountain, although Roshven is surrounded by other mountains such as An Stac, Sgurr Na Ba Glaise and Sgurr Dhomhuill Mor. The largest burn that comes through Roshven is the Irin Burn which originates in Lochan na Craoihhe and runs down past Roshven Farm. Its estuary is located on the shore in front of the farm.
Roshven has quite a varied and unpredictable climate. Fort William which is located around 30 miles away experiences on average 3500-4500mm of rainfall every year. It experiences warm and wet summers and mild and wet winters. Snow is not very frequent because Roshven, like much of Lochaber, is subject to warm, moist air from the Gulf Stream.<ref>{{cite news|title=Climate and weather in Fort William and Lochaber|url=http://www.outdoorcapital.co.uk/info-weather.asp|publisher=The Outdoor Capital of the UK|date=2 February 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123115803/http://www.outdoorcapital.co.uk/info-weather.asp|archivedate=23 January 2011}}</ref> According to the Royal Meteorological Society, one of the descendants of Hugh and Jemima Blackburn, Vera Philippa Blackburn (widow of William) who died in 1932, was keen on meteorology and had kept a rain gauge at Roshven in which she recorded the climate and rainfall for many years.<ref name="Britain)Glaisher1933">{{cite book|last1=Glaisher|first1=James|title=Quarterly journal of the Royal Meteorological Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FMIbAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=2 February 2011|year=1933|publisher=Royal Meteorological Society.}}</ref>
==Wildlife==
===Fauna=== Like many Highland areas, many forms of wildlife are found at Roshven, both aquatic and land-based. In Loch Ailort there are many varieties of fish found such as mackerel, sea trout and salmon. Brown trout are also found in the burns and streams which run down off the surrounding hills. There have been occasional sitings of dolphins and whales in the loch, and once a whale died after being washed up onto the beach. Deer, foxes, wild cats, squirrels and pine martens are regularly seen in the area. The birds however are the major attraction of Roshven and this is what inspired Blackburn in her paintings. Golden eagles are often seen either flying over the loch or, more frequently, in front of the mountains and trees.
===Flora=== thumb|right|Vegetation at Roshven Estate The vegetation growing at Roshven is lush, due to plentiful rainfall, but somewhat varied. One of the main plants is rhododendron, and trees such as Scots pine, oak, birch and ash are common. Despite the rainfall, however, the land is not good for growing crops because the soil is thin, lacks fertility and can often be too inundated with water.
==Economic and business== Tourism is important to the local economy. The Roshven Farm contains five chalets which are let out to visitors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roshven.com/chalets.html|title=Chalets|publisher=Roshven.com|accessdate=2 February 2011}}</ref> Deer stalking is carried out on the hills as well as hillwalking, fishing, sailing and rock climbing. Hill sheep farming is also practised and hay and silage are also grown on the lower, shore-bordering fields as these have thicker soils and can be used to produce food for cattle and sheep to feed on in the winter.
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Highland Estates Category:Lochaber