Bronze Age remains can be found in the area, including a souterrain and a very well preserved wheelhouse on the hillside above the west shore.

[2] Before the development of the coast road around the loch in 1890, the Heilam ferry ran from the quay at Portnancon on the west shore to Ard Neakie.

There are stones arranged by sailors into the names of their warships, including HMS Hood and Amethyst, on the hillside above the hamlet of Laid.

The largest island in the loch, Eilean Choraidh, was used as a representation of the German battleship Tirpitz for aerial bombing practice by the Fleet Air Arm prior to the successful Operation Tungsten in April 1944.

[8] In 2011 the loch was used as part of Exercise Joint Warrior, the largest war games staged in the UK, involving the navy's new flagship, the assault ship HMS Bulwark.