Archaeology Notes

Event ID 676915

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/676915

NN18NE 9.00 17678 87966

NN18NE 9.01 Centred on NN 17459 87935 Stables

NN18NE 9.02 NN 17540 88104 Workshop

NN18NE 9.03 NN 17917 87937 Walled Garden

NN18NE 9.04 NN 17653 88028 Summerhouse

See also NN18NE 2 (castle).

Achanacarry House and policies are situated on the S bank of the River Arkaig between Loch Lochy and Loch Arkaig. The House was requisitoned in 1940 for use as the headquarters for Commando training. Initially an adjunct to the Lochailort (NM78SE 15) school of training, from 1942 became the main centre for the training of Commandos.

Nissen huts were erected on the front lawn and a small ready made parade ground created.

The House was used as the Headquarters building and accommodated officers' mess and staff whilst the huts provided sleeping quarters for other ranks. Throughout the estate various training aids were built including a rope bridge across the River Arkaig. To the W of the house were the shooting and grenade ranges along with several imitation buildings to train the soldiers in street fighting.

The house and hutted camp are visible on vertical air photographs taken in 1946 (CPE/UK/Scot/177, frames 1271-1273, flown 7 October 1946), which show at least 52 huts, mainly of the Nissen type to the S and SE of the House with a another small group of four to the rear.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), April 2008; S Allan 2007