We were out this morning walking the track that runs almost due west from Golspie, on a morning which started with a sharp shower but then turned fine, a day for the hills.
The track leads back to an interest of mine which gave me many happy hours during the second decade we spent on Ardnamurchan - looking for the remains of human activity which pre-date the clearances and the creation of the crofting system. So far in our wanderings we've found nothing but....
....if the local OS maps are anything to go by, the Golspie area is rich in early history.
At the end of the track we were following lies Loch Lunndaidh with, on its north shore, hut circles and rectangular structures which look promising. Today we didn't manage to walk that far but the next time we head in that direction it will be with a picnic and the time to explore.
In the meanwhile, I can do some research from my armchair. This is a clip from Roy's map, dated around 1750. Loch Lunndaidh isn't shown but it's located west of Golspie and almost due north of Kirkton. Roy's maps were masterpieces for their age but inaccurate by modern standards. Locating the Lunndaidh settlement is complicated by Roy's surveyors marking Culmaily (Kilmaley) as north of Kirkton....
....whereas they are both on the A9. Nevertheless, Roy's map has a small settlement....
....marked here with the red arrow, which suggests he knew one lay somewhere in the hills to the north. Perhaps this is the Loch Lunndaidh settlement.
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