Ardnamurchan's Isolated Farmsteads

Before the farming settlements of Ardnamurchan were reorganised - in some cases, cleared - in the years between 1828  and 1854, most people lived in small, self regulating nucleated settlements called clachans. Achnaha, pictured, is one of the few inhabited settlements today which, although it was reorganised into a crofting township, retains the layout of those old clachans.

Typically, each clachan was home to six to eight families, perhaps thirty people in all, but a few chose to live outside the settlement. The white arrow....

....indicates an area which was within Achnaha's common grazings but which was cleared for arable farming. The people who lived there built themselves a house and outbuildings.

On Tuesday 27th, the Ardnamurchan History & Heritage Association is holding its first AGM, in the Learning Centre at 7.00pm. This will be followed by a talk and discussion about Ardnamurchan's isolated farmsteads. Everyone is very welcome to come along.