Oblique low-level aerial view of Big Sand, W of Gairloch, Wester Ross, looking SE.

Description Oblique low-level aerial view of Big Sand, W of Gairloch, Wester Ross, looking SE.

Date 13/3/2008

Collection Papers of James Sloan Bone, landscape historian, Inverness, Highland, Scotland

Catalogue Number DP 341232

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content A crofting township, comprising sixty-nine roofed, five partially roofed and twenty-one unroofed buildings is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross-shire 1881, sheet xliv). The township of Big Sand was established in 1845 as one of the Gairloch crofting townships created by John Mackenzie. It was archaeologically surveyed in 2012 by MacInnes A. See HER MHG21442 for main township record. The Gairloch Estate map shows that there was a sizeable settlement here before this, and rental records go back to 1792. There were also estate maps for Little Sand farm where the campsite is today, and Little Sand crofts which were on the N side of the road but never established. Like most townships Big Sand crofters relied on fishing to supplement any income from crofting, and slipways can still be seen along the shoreline as well as a fishing station. Today no crops are grown and only a few livestock are grazed, but a ruined corn drying kiln is a reminder of when crops were grown. For more detail on the people of Big Sand read ‘The road to the Lighthouse’ available in Gairloch Heritage Museum and local outlets. Title and Scope & Content contributed by North of Scotland Archaeological Society (2021).

Accession Number 2020/58

External Reference D0703

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/2103461

File Format (JPG) JPEG bitmap