Settlements in the area are few and tiny.
Hope Hope is the only remotely notable settlement on the loch, and is in itself named after it. It is at the northern outflow of the loch, at the head of the River Hope. There are seven archaeological sites within the settlement and an additional two hut circles just north of the village. The riverside around it is full of weirs, and the settlement has a very small permanent population but is by far the largest of the very few populated settlements on the loch. It has one lodge but it is old and is currently undergoing overhaul with plans for it to become a shooting lodge. There is a small enclosure in the settlement and many paths on the other side of the river bank to Hope; there is a ferryman's house on the riverside. The following places are not notable. For example Braesgill is a single building at grid reference 475571.
Lochside Like most places in Scotland unimaginatively called Lochside, Lochside is on the lochside of Loch hope. It is located just east of the loch on the small stream that is Allt na Raipe and within Lochside there's a
sheepfold. There are 2 archaeological sites in Lochside. Aside from the road around the Loch, there's only a couple small trails by the settlement. Braesgill has been listed by Ordnance Survey since 1871 in Sutherland Volume 12 although it now ceases to appear on their maps.
Merkan Merkan is a mostly lost settlement just south of Braesgill, it too is named after the river it sits on but also a nearby small peak with the same name. It has been depicted by Ordnance Survey maps since 1878. It's located just west of the lochside road and a very small carved path links the remains of a building to it. It has an alternate name, Meirgeach.
Muiseal Muiseal is another small farmstead, just south of the Loch. It has listings on
Openstreetmap and
OS and is labelled as a hamlet. It is 11 metres above sea level, there is a parking lot within it to provide for some of the trails in the area, 1 of which goes to
Ben Hope. There's another small track which leads to the Strathmore river and on the other side of the river there's a labelled place called Luib Bhan. Finally there's 2 roofed buildings within Muiseal. To add to this there's one archaeological site within Arnaboll.
Alltnacaillich Alltnacaillich is one of few places near the loch to get a google maps listing. It is a permanently inhabited hamlet on the
Strathmore River Just south of Muiseal. There is a sort of central area of the settlement with housing and trails leaving out of it, all this is atop Allt na Caillich a river where the river is named off of unoriginally. Some of these trails lead to peaks and mountains, but most go west towards the Strathmore where there are links to prehistoric sites, a
homestead,
graveyard and a nature reserve. Alltnacaillich is also home to a bridge over the Strathmore and a
burnt mound and nearby there's
Don Dornaigil. The hamlet has etymology as it means the burn of the ould woman which was actually the naming of the aforementioned river.
Moine House Moine house or Moin House is located east of the loch. It has 3 archaeological sites in the area and is near the banks of another loch, Loch Nam Meur Liath which in itself is near to a larger loch, Loch Maovalley which flows into Loch Hope. It consists of one derelict building and a couple trails. It was built as a place of refuge for people travelling on the nearly built road across the area, now the
A838 and has lost its roof. The house was also permanently inhabited and due to its importance in helping travelers, it became a marked point on many different maps. Moine means
Gaelic for Moss and the house was inhabited by many notable families some of which would have as many as 8 people. The now archaeological site now has a car park for visitors. == Tourism ==