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Early History of
Strathnaver
by Gordon Wilson
The history of human
settlement of the north of Scotland begins very recently in comparison
with the long, slow development of mankind in the rest of the world. There
is a map at the end of this article to help locate the artefacts
described.
Throughout the Ice Age -
glaciers advanced and retreated across Scotland - the climate slowly
changed from Glacial - to Tundra - to Temperate - and back again. In each
Temperate period woodlands spread in from the Continent. But, over this
long time, the north of Scotland remained uninhabited by animals or
humans. By about 10,000 years ago (8,000 B.C.), the ice finally melted,
leaving the land which would be quite familiar as todays Straths, Lochs
and Mountains.
The early hunters of the
Mesolithic Age, with stone axes and wooden spears, lacked the ability to
move into the Temperate Latitudes. But Neolithic Man (the early farmers),
with the development of improved stone working techniques over the years,
developed a whole new range of weapons and tools capable of advancing
their standard of life.
The immediate result of so
much ice melting was that the sea level rose by approximately 200 feet,
thus covering much of the coastline. At the same time, the land, free from
the great weight of ice, also began to rise. For the next few thousands of
years, the sea levels fluctuated. Today the levels are at low - and the
"old" high level beaches (raised beaches) can be seen in many places round
the Scottish coasts. Good examples locally can be seen at Helmsdale, Brora
and Golspie.
This was the time the
first humans found their way north.
It took many hundreds of years for vegetation and fauna to colonise the
land uncovered by the ice melting - the first animals to penetrate the
north had to be capable of surviving Arctic conditions. Remains that have
been found in caves include Cave Bear, Arctic Fox, Northern Vole and
Arctic Lemming.
Vegetation developed, with scrub trees being replaced by Willow, Birch and
Pine. Later, a thick covering of trees reached much higher than today's
treeline.
By this time a wide range
of mammals, birds and insects would also have colonised the North.
Evidence of early settlements in Strathnaver remain scattered, in varying
densities, across the now mostly deserted hills and moorland. The
Chambered Cairns - Standing Stones - Stone Circles - Brochs - Hut Circles
-Souterrains - all indicate intermittent to almost continuous occupation
from the Neolithic Period to the present day.
With such an amazing time
scale covered, I would like to start with a brief review of the ages
involved.
Sites In Strathnaver
Mesolithic Period.
(7000 - 4000 B.C.)
This is the time the first nomadic hunters moved northwards into Caithness
- mostly travelling round the coasts. No remains of their living quarters
have been found - possibly they lived in skin tents or wooden lean-to's.
Also their weapons of crude stone or wood have long since disappeared.
However some traces of their life style can be found in middens of refuse
on some sandy beaches or in caves.
Neolithic Period. (4000
- 2000 B.C.)
This age produced the first farmer/settlers - keeping cattle, sheep and
goats and harvesting crude forms of grain. By this time improved working
of stone and bone implements contributed to a better class of life style.
Some simple pottery of this period has been found but, again, no traces of
their houses remain. They are more possibly known for the Chambered Cairns
- large stone structures - where they buried their most distinguished
dead.
Chambered Cairns were
probably in use for a period of 2000 years. A wide variety of styles still
exist - some circular - some elongated - some with long or short horns. As
building skills developed over the years, the chambers tended to become
larger and more complex, some introducing corbelling. These cairns
continued to be used over many years, much like family vaults. Most have
been looted over the ages. However a few have survived intact. Excavations
normally reveal human and animal bones - sometimes burnt -pottery pieces
and other Neolithic artefacts.
This is the age of great Stone Circles - Stone Rows - and various Standing
and Recumbent Stones - many thought to be used in elaborate ceremonies in
which some astronomical events may have played a part.
NOTE: Caithness has Stone Rows at Mid Clyth, Dirlot, Yarrows and Garrywhin,
and Stone Circles at Achnavanish, Naver and Camster.
Bronze Age. (2000-500
B.C.)
At this time new settlers rushed north from the east and south. These
people brought knowledge of metal working - bronze for better tools and
also gold, silver and copper. These settlers were the first to build more
permanent homes - the circular walls of which are preserved as the Hut
Circles we find today.
By comparison with the
massive Chambered Cairns of the Neolithic Period, the Bronze Age burials
were modest affairs - buried individually in flagstone coffins (called
Cists) and then covered with stones - but not always. Bodies were buried
with knees up to the chin, making the cists quite small. Artefacts found
in such cists included pottery. Yet another characteristic of the Bronze
Age were the early carvings on some stones - sometimes cut into the stones
of the cist. These are known as Cup Marks or Ring and Cup Marks - thought
possibly to have some religious symbolism.
Iron Age. (500 B.C. -
500 A.D.)
Settlers moved westward from Asia into Britain, subsequently colonising
Scotland around 500 B.C. With them came the Celts and, more importantly,
the knowledge of iron workings, thus producing better utensils, implements
and weapons - again improving their standard of living. It is supposed
that these Celtic tribes eventually settled with the locals and became
known as the Picts.
These Iron Age peoples
developed a whole range of Look-out Towers or fortified structures -Hill
Forts - Brochs - Duns. Their commonest dwellings would appear to be the
Round Huts (i.e. today's Hut Circles). At this time, Souterrains - long
underground tunnels - appear, usually running outwards from these Hut
Circles. Some think they were used as cold storage larders; others think
they may have a religious connection.
Early Christian Period.
(500 A.D. - 1100 A.D.)
English and Irish missionaries were brought to Scotland - St. Ninian, St.
Molvag, St. Columba and St. Maelrubba. Monasteries were created from 398
A.D. to 671 A.D. North of Bettyhill was the Chapel of Eilean Neave (now
completely disappeared) built by followers of St Columba.
Medieval Period. (1100
A.D. - 1600 A.D.)
The clan system developed in the Highlands and for 500 years clan chiefs
held the land for the king but in practice they behaved as independent
despots - giving rise to a time of clan wars as power struggles to control
larger areas developed.
Highland Clearances.
From 1700 onwards the ties of kinship and mutual trust between chiefs and
people dissipated. The chiefs regarded themselves as landed gentry and
tended to associate with the high life of Edinburgh and London but
realising that the high life could not be supported by the revenues from
their estates. Thus came the sheep walks between 1800 -1860 when large
scale evictions occurred all over the Highlands.
Strathnaver had two. 1814
and 1819. Patrick Sellars, a professional lawyer who had been Procurator
Fiscal, decided to make a fortune for himself in helping the landlords
clear the land. His harshness and his burnings to clear the southern
straths led to his becoming the most hated man in the Highlands. It was
rumoured (and widely believed) that his body became riddled with lice as a
result of the many curses put upon him.
William Young was
responsible for the northern Strathnaver clearances - where no trace of
burning has been found at Rossal, Dunvidon or Borgie. There the people
left voluntarily.
Strathnaver Clearances.
The people were allocated small plots of land around the coast - sites at
Bettyhill, Strathy, Balligill. These strip agricultural sites are still
clearly seen around the coast today. Fishing supplemented their struggle
for existence.
The River Naver.
Named by Ptolemy in 140 A.D. as "Nabaros" possibly meaning a cloud or wet
cloud - could come from the rising mist from the river in certain
atmospheric conditions.
Borve Castle
Promontory castle in an arch of magnificent coastal scenery - only a few
fragments of the structure exist today, but the scenery is spectacular -
sheer drops both to the right and left. The only access is a narrow
passage defended by a double ditch and rampart. Close by this ditch, the
castle well can be found.
In Medieval times Borve
Castle was a major stronghold of the Clan Mackay who had invaded
Sutherland. As early as 1370, the Earl of Sutherland described them as the
'Ancient Enemies'1. Hostilities between the two clans ranged from minor
raiding and looting to finally a major war involving thousands of men. The
battle of Druim-na-Coub was fought directly below the spectacular peaks of
Ben Loyal.
Borve Castle was destroyed
by Sutherland's army in 1555, after a series of Mackay raids while the
Earl of Sutherland was in France helping Royalty. The Queen Regent (mother
of Mary, Queen of Scots) ordered the Duke of Sutherland to destroy the
outlaw as he had ignored a summons to appear before her.
Castle Borve had always
withstood all previous attacks, but, for the first time, modern progress
was to defeat them. The brave and able commander, Rory Mor Mackay, was
dismayed by the appearance of a large cannon, pulled all the way overland
from Edinburgh on the cast coast. Sited on a higher elevation on a nearby
cliff, a long bombardment reduced the castle to a ruin. Forced to
surrender, Rory Mor Mackay was hanged on the spot and the castle was
destroyed beyond further use.
To the cast of Borve
Castle and Bettyhill, lie early Neolithic cairns. Proceed 200 yards from
the cattle grid on leaving Bettyhill (towards Thurso), to reach some sheep
pens on the left. Parking here, one can walk up the hill to the north for
% mile to where there is a substantial round cairn probably a burial
cairn, but from the earlier ages. Proceed to the top of the crest where
there are another 2 round burial cairns, also of the earlier period. One
has been vandalised to some extent but the other is quite substantial and
in reasonable condition.
Before we reach the
Clearance Village, just off to the left of the road, lie 2 Neolithic Long
Cairns. The left hand one is very ruinous and has unfortunately been used
as a farmer's dump. The other one is quite elaborate with an entrance
passage and several chambered areas which are quite clear and can be
walked between. Again its tail leans out of line by 10% -possibly again by
later additions.
Between the 2 Long Cairns
is a very striking and most unusual circle of Standing Stones. I know of
no other example in the north. The Chambered Cairn at Achnavanish has a
horseshoe part circle near-by. The Clava Cairns in Invemessshire have
several Stone Circles with Cairns. Aberdeenshire has Stone Circles, often
with Recumbent Stones in the ring - looking rather like altars. No one
knows the purpose of these.
Invernaver Iron Age
Broch, Settlement And Burial Sites.
The broch is situated on a spectacular site, high on the outcrop ridge
overlooking the whole estuary and right up the strath. The inside wall is
well preserved to a height of 5 feet. Because of infilling and blown sand,
this is probably 9 or 10 feet above the original floor. The entrance
passage is well kept to the north-west. Beyond is a ditch and rampart,
cleverly using the natural rock outcrop- The view from the broch unfolds
below an Iron Age settlement and burial site with several hut circles and
cairns immediately obvious (also Bronze Age burial cysts in small cairns).
There are 4 hut circles close together below the broch - the best
preserved shows a complete circle of foundation stones. These originally
would be several feet high. Central fireplaces still show. The internal
diameter is approximately 40 feet. One circle hut would appear to have had
a double wall to the north -this could be a later addition.
Also to be found are large
lines of stone rows - short stretches of drystone walling - it is a puzzle
as to the purpose of these!
Coillen A Borgie.
This broch is completely ruined but the general form is still clear. A
small chamber can be seen in the north wall and the lower foundation
stones are still intact- The loss of most of the stones is most likely due
to later settlements.
Despite speculation, most of the strath brochs are not in sight of each
other. Communication was not possible unless by the use of watch fires,
which is unlikely!!
Achanlochy Clearance Village.
(This is well signposted, with easy parking in an old quarry.)
This was a village of 7 families. There could have been up to 60-80 people
working a small arable area on a communal system. The main crops were
oats, here (a primitive form of barley) and potatoes. Livestock included
chickens, sheep, goats and cattle - cattle being the most important item
to the economy. Fish were probably farmed in the adjacent lochan.
At first sight, the houses in the village appear to have been placed at
random. However, because wheeled vehicles were not then in use, there was
no need for streets. Houses were simply built on any well drained site,
usually up the slope rather than on the valley floor.
Here are 2 of the finest corn kilns - still in excellent condition - and a
main long house and outhouse.
Corn Kilns
These kilns were used to dry grain after each harvest - it is the same
system as the modem drying silo. The grain was held in a stone basin and
warm air was fed through it from below. Early lime kilns were worked on
the same basis.
Above the village is the quarry, but a lot is left to your imagination as
to what is scree and what is quarried stone.
Achanlochy people were evicted in the third and major clearance of
Strathnaver in 1819.
Point of interest - looking westward lies a prominent white house. This is
the farmhouse of Achaboorin, built for the first sheepmaster who took over
after the clearances.
The village is best visited in the Spring, before the bracken begins to
grow.
Further North
We come upon other clearance houses and hut circles and a great number of
clearance cairns. These clearance cairns range over the full length of the
strath many on the higher slopes. These small heaps of stones may date as
far back as the Bronze Age, making it obvious that this area was well
cultivated from that time until today. Traces also exist of a dam on the
upper ridge of the hill. Two stones in the burn show traces of early
milling - showing that communal milling started in the strath.
Drochaide Iron Age Broch.
A perfect skyline broch, halfway up the hill on an ideal outcrop. Once
inside, it is preserved rather well. The broch is 28 feet in diameter, and
the wall measures 16 feet thick on the west side - where a slightly curved
entrance is clearly seen. Outside the entrance are fallen lintel stones -
one, a triangular stone 4 feet by 3 feet. These stones were characteristic
features of brochs of a certain age.
With some surprise, you will realise that the walls stand to 10 feet above
the floor - infill, on the original floor, of fallen stones and other
debris is 5-6 feet deep. It is estimated that this broch has a containment
of 4,000 tons of rock.
Unusually, for a hill broch, this one had an artificial moat - a drainage
burn was diverted to supply the water. A dam and moat works are still
clearly seen. However this is now thought to be water for an early fish
farm.
Hut Circles
Below the broch is a simple oval structure about 15x13 yards - a massive
earth bank over stones - 6 feet thick by 4 feet high in places. This
circle is a remnant of a substantial stone built structure. There are
possibly another 2 hut circles adjacent.
Skelpick Neolithic Chambered Cairn
This chambered cairn lies just across the Skelpick Burn, past the bridge.
It is a more impressive cairn than Coillenaborgie.
70 plus yards long - it also has 2 horned tails now sinking into the peat.
The chambers are open - have to be with a birch tree growing out of the
main chamber (this has now been removed). You will immediately be struck
by the size of these chambers - one 12x11 feet and another 9x8 feet.
Closer examination shows that the chambers are extremely well built. Both
drystone dyking and the vertical slabs are clearly obvious. It was
excavated in 1867. The northern chamber survived and was left intact - the
entrance carefully sealed by horizontally laid flagstone -seems it is
possibly the original sealing stone from Neolithic time rather than later.
The first chamber leads into an over-lain lintel supported by overlaid
flagstones - a system known as corbelling . This dates the chamber as a
later development. This corbelled roof has survived to today.
This is another cairn whose "tail" takes a swing off the straight line -
suggesting later extensions to the length - caused by the line of the
hill.
Two other long cairns, completely ruinous, are apparent on this side of
the bum. These appear of cruder construction - possibly earlier in age.
NOTE Several perfect examples of corbelling survive today in the chambered
cairns at Loch Calder.
Iron Age Workings
(There are many sites in Strath Halladale and Strathnaver.)
It is known that from 500 B.C. to 1700 A.D. these workings were happening.
Most people favour the late Medieval or Modem Age. However, from Timothy
Pont's map, early iron workings existed in south Strathnaver. The key
depended on the availability of timber suitable for charcoal.
From the south end of the Skelpick Cairn, walk directly to the burn, where
erosion has uncovered an early Iron Working. In the stream, at this point,
slicks can still be found.
Long Cairn Above The Skelpick Cairn.
A substantial long cairn lies on the upper plateau above the Skelpick
Cairn. It is much more primitive - pillaged - but quite substantial - no
corbelling - much like the Kildonan cairns though obviously of an earlier
age.
A new bridge across the burn directly down from the white house, allows
easy access to the Skelpick Cairn, the Iron Workings and the upper Long
Cairn.
Skelpick Village Summer Camp
The livestock were driven up to higher grazing by the women and girls. For
the summer months, they tended the stock. They also milked the cows and
goats and cheese was produced. Any live game was killed and smoked in
preparation for winter. The men and boys went to the fishing and looked to
the maintenance of the settlement.
Clearance Cairns.
LOCH MO NAIRE.
Named after an ancient Celtic goddess, this was probably a holy place in
pre-Christian times, with the tradition surviving into the Christian era.
The loch was famous all over the Highlands for its healing powers. For
hundreds of years, until the first World War, sick and disabled people
came to immerse themselves in the waters.
ANOTHER STORY ABOUT LOCH MO NAIRE
An early Strathnaver woman, who had the second sight and great healing
powers, possessed a sacred stone. She was persecuted by the incoming
Gordons (much hated by the locals). The chief pursued this woman with the
intention of possessing either herself or the stone - or both! On fleeing
to the loch, she threw the stone into the middle crying, "Mo-naire, Mo-nairc,"
meaning "My shame. My shame," and thus escaped the Gordon's attentions.
From that time, the loch has been attributed with great healing powers.
Hut Circles Again And Clearance Cairns.
Above Loch Mo Naire, some 300-400 feet, are several more hut circles and ,
over a substantial area, 14 to 18 clearance cairns - all in deep heather.
Again, above Skelpick Cairn, is another area of clearance cairns, also in
deep heather - 4 dozen or more. There appears to be no planned growth
area. So what was this land like some time in the past? However it does
show proof of continued existence of people and cultivation.
In this area is a hut circle complete with 3-4 feet high walls. The
entrance of portal stones is still in place, making it one of the best
conditioned to be found. Internally it has, set back from the door, a
smaller circle of foundation stones. We do not know the purpose of these!
Just beyond, is a large cone shaped mound, 30-40 feet high, with a circle
of stones all round the base and, 5-6 feet from the cone top, another
circle of stones. Its purpose is also unknown. However some think it may
be a burial mound.
Dunvidon Neolithic Chambered Cairn
These are just remains - the stall standing stones stand upright on a
small hillock. The covering stones were robbed to build the nearby broch.
The 5 stall slabs and 2 partition slabs
are probably in their original positions. On the north-west largest stone
are 9 shallow cup marks. These are characteristic of the Bronze Age and
may well indicate that the cairn was in use beyond Neolithic times.
Dunvidon Iron Age Broch
This is completely ruined but still impressively sited on a rise towards
the river. The double rampart system is just recognisable. The entrance
doorway is marked by a large fallen lintel slab. Traces of the original
wall can be identified at various points.
Dunvidon - The Clearance Village.
Between the cairn and the broch is one of the best preserved clearance
villages in Strathnaver. Sited here lie 5 long houses and a few smaller
buildings. Here we also find a rare feature in a pre-clearance house - a
fireplace in the gable, with a large lintel stone and chimney. This must
be one of the first away from the central communal fire. A well preserved
corn kiln is sited, along with a well, to the south of the village. The
flat arable river lands show traces of the original lazy beds i.e. the
individual cultivated land strips.
Hut Circles And Clearance Cairns.
From Dunvidon to the mouth of the river, these occur at regular intervals
down the strath. With the exception of the lower areas, these are again in
deep heather. Hut circles also seem to exist all the way up the strath.
Rossal
This was a pre-clearance village of 13 families, with 46 acres of arable
land and 34 acres of
rough pasture, now situated in the middle of Syre forest.
The site has been well preserved by the Forestry Commission, with
information boards and wooden walkways. A few Iron Age hut circles can be
found at the forest edge.
Follow the marked trail to the various remains of long houses, barns,
out-houses and a souterrain.
Follow the forest entrance, see Patrick Sellar's house - the red roofed
building with white
walls sited above Syre Church.
See also the monument to Donald Macleod at Red Brae, opened by the late
Ian Grimble in
1981.
Langwell Iron Age Broch.
Adjacent to the river, up the Langwell Burn is another well sited broch on
high ground. The double walls are easily seen and the base circle of
stones is still intact. Some excavation was done in the summer of 1993. A
long house, built of salvaged stones, lies at the foot of the broch.
Across the Langwell Burn to the south, we find a private grave at a high
spot on the ridge. Opposite the broch, it is a substantial, walled-off
area, bordered by yew and holly trees. There are 2 massive grave stones -
on horizontal and one upright. It is a child's grave.
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