Muir of ord
About.
...Where paths cross
“The Muir” is a thriving friendly community of about 2700 people. In the midst of a well populated rural area, it sits where paths cross, with rail and road routes going to the North, South, East and West. In the past, our location meant drovers brought their cattle here from across the Highlands to sell at the market which was the origin of the famous Black Isle Show, held here every August and the first thing many people associate with the village.
For locals, there are loads of clubs, societies and regular events in the village and nearby – check our What’s On page.
Muir of Ord prides itself on being a village that shares. For example we’ve got something special with our community orchard, growing boxes and community fridge run by MoO Food Volunteers. Take a moment to walk around the village and enjoy one of these quiet spaces and, if the time is right, some fresh food and herbs from the boxes. If you want to join in with the growing, whether you’re new to gardening or an expert, please get in touch on admin@muiroford.org.uk.
We also host our annual fun packed 9-day Gala Festival every mid July: over the 9 days we have something for everyone! Check the Gala page for more.
For visitors, the main tourist attraction is Glen Ord Distillery. Excellent guided tours and tastings are available there, and you can buy a range of whiskies and related gifts. Following your tour, you can visit The Muir Hub Café and Smokepit in the Muir Hub in the village square, or Bad Girl Bakery on the other side of the road. You’ll also find the library in the village square (open part-time). Visitors are welcomed for refreshments at the golf clubhouse. There is a good range of B&B, hotel, self catering and bunkhouse accommodation within easy reach.
The Muir, with low lying land to the sea on one side and hills on the other, is a perfect area for walking and cycling. Check the Out and About page for loads of ideas.
It’s a vibrant community to live in with dozens of active community groups providing activities, fun and education for the residents – everything from Bridge to Brownies, from Singing to Scrabble.
Two exciting developments in Muir of Ord have been the re-opening of two historic buildings. Firstly, in the Old School, The Muir Hub opened in February 2017 providing a cinema/music/events venue, two meeting spaces, the wonderful Muir Hub Café and Smokepit and a small retail area selling locally produced gift items. Many community groups meet here regularly and it is also available for one off events and parties, with private cinema parties being particularly popular.
Secondly, along the road the Village Hall, dating from the 1890s, recently re-opened having been much refurbished. It is used by several activity groups on a regular basis and is also available to hire for private functions and public events.
Many people commute to work in Inverness and other surrounding towns for work, but there are also varied employment opportunities in the village including Glen Ord Distillery, engineering works, a carbon fibre factory, storage services, and construction yards. The main types of employment are local government, the health service, building, engineering, distilling and agriculture.
The village is at the centre of a productive rural area with large arable farms on the fertile low-lying ground, producing seed and ware potatoes, barley, oil seed rape and oats, as well as hay and silage for the quality livestock that the area is renowned for. On the higher ground are many crofts – traditional small land holdings where people may keep a few cattle, sheep, hens, and/or ponies.