Kyle of Tongue
The Kyle of Tongue (Scottish Gaelic: Caol Thunga) is a shallow sea loch in northwest Highland, Scotland, in the western part of Sutherland. Featuring a rocky coastline, its mouth is formed at Tongue Bay. The community of Tongue is situated on the Kyle's eastern shore and the loch is crossed by the Kyle of Tongue Bridge and Causeway.
| Kyle of Tongue National Scenic Area | |
|---|---|
Ben Loyal on the west side of Kyle of Tongue. | |
The location of the Kyle of Tongue within Sutherland. | |
| Location | Sutherland, Highland, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 58.477°N 4.453°W |
| Area | 245 km2 (95 sq mi) |
| Established | 1981 |
| Governing body | NatureScot |
The sea loch and surrounding countryside is designated as the Kyle of Tongue National Scenic Area, one of the forty such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The designated area covers 24,488 ha in total, of which 21,093 ha is on land, with a further 3396 ha being marine (i.e. below low tide level), and takes in the nearby mountains of Ben Hope and Ben Loyal as well as several small islands and the coastline as far east as Bettyhill.