A Visit to Swordle Huel

It was a great pleasure today to travel to Swordle on Ardnamurchan's north coast to look at the site of one of the three clachans which existed around the bay before they were cleared in 1853. This picture is taken from the site of Swordle Corrach looking northeast across Swordle Bay; the site of Swordle More is by the Swordle burn in the glen to the right, off picture, while the clachan we were visiting....

....Swordle Huel, is on the east side, where the road climbs out of the glen on its way to Ockle. One of the old buildings left when the inhabitants were moved was incorporated into the wall that was built to surround the sheep farm's inbye land. Standing in front of it are....

....the reason for the visit - Australians Brett Cameron and his wife Afaf Girgis. Brett's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was Alexander Cameron who lived in Swordle Huel. Born in Acharacle in 1750, his descendants emigrated to Newcastle, Australia, some years before Swordle Huel was finally cleared in 1853. Three generations of Alexander's descendants sailed from Tobermory in 1837 on the Brilliant with as many as a hundred other Camerons aboard. Brett contacted the Diary after reading its 'History of Swordle' - here.

While we were visiting the site of the Viking ship burial near the beach a sea eagle flew over, and as I was on my way home....

....something even larger - the Stornoway Coastguard helicopter - was just coming in to land in the field opposite the parish church.

It was here on a training exercise for Kilchoan Coastguard.

It was a great pleasure to show Brett and Afaf around. If other visitors would like a tour of a particular site on West Ardnamurchan, this can be arranged through the Ardnamurchan History & Heritage Association, at heritageardnamurchan@gmail.com