Allt Coire Nan Cadrach

The website text produced for Corrychurrachan webpages on the Forest Heritage Scotland website (www.forestheritagescotland.com).

Introduction: Lost to the fairy folk?

Hidden in Glenrigh Forest, in the hills above Loch Linnhe, stand the remains of a community long gone.

Historical records tell us that people were living here as early as 1522. When or why people abandoned the settlement is a mystery but maps show it was empty by the mid 1800s.

Local legends recount a tale about a postman who bad fairies attempted to kidnap, near Corrychurrachan. Fortunately, good fairies rescued him at the last minute. It is highly unlikely however that the people who lived in Corrychurrachan went "away with the fairies".

In the early 1800s, many people left farming settlements for various reasons. Explore some of the other abandoned settlements on our website to find out what these reasons could be. Why do you think the people left here?

People Story: The Bishop's journey in the wild Highlands

In 1770, Bishop Forbes travelled to Corrychurrachan by horse and carriage.

The road was not built for this mode of transport; most people used carts, rode on horses or walked. Several locals came to the roadside to stare at this unusual sight. Finally the carriage got stuck on a narrow cliff track. It could not turn around so it had to be lifted and turned by hand.

On arriving in Corrychurrachan on horseback their host Donald Cameron gave Bishop Forbes and his wife a tour of his home.

"....you are in the wild Highlands, where you know we are reckoned Great Thieves, and yet I have, as you will observe, no Lock or Bolt on the outer Door of my House..."

Donald Cameron to Mrs Forbes, quoted by W. T. Kilgour (1908) in [i]"Lochaber in war and peace"[/i].

Donald Cameron was the factor for Corrychurrachan. His job was to collect rents for the landlord and keep an eye on the tenants on the landlord's behalf.

The bishop tells us that Donald was famous for a cannonball wounding him at the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745, where he fought for Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Records show that he and two of his tenants, Sarah and John McKenzie, paid a price for their involvement in the rebellion. The king's forces taxed them; they took sheep, horses, cows and even furniture.

Survey of the 18th-century Military Road Network – Lochaber

Landscape assessment

Colin Shepherd

The following features were recorded during a landscape management survey of the 18th-century military road network as described under military roads IRS Foyers, Boleskine and Abertarff/Dores.

NN 1642 7852 Leanachan Water level on the downslope side of this portion of military road suggests the presence of a blocked culvert. L006

NN 1008 5931 Invercoe A revetted track deviates from the modern way for a short distance behind Invercoe House. This might be a survival from the military route leading from the ferry from Callert through Invercoe to Glencoe. L016

NN 1036 5902 Invercoe Square stone culvert which might be early. L017

NN 1048 5891 Invercoe Revetment and early square stone culvert beside modern and working pipe. The stone culvert is not visible on the upslope side, but the road is 6m wide here. The culvert might well relate to the early road. L018

NN 1081 5872 Invercoe Square stone culvert which might be early considering the narrow width of the road. L019

NN 1030 5904 Invercoe A section of track diverges from the modern course and the edge of the modern track contains some possible early cobbling. L021

NN 1012 5925 Invercoe Square stone culvert beside Invercoe House, possibly early. L020

NN 0736 5980 Callert Possible previously unrecognised stretch of late military road running from NN 0769 5972 to NN 0725 5987. Very well preserved. It has been truncated by quarrying and rock removal for the modern road. This appears to have remained the course until after the 1st Edition OS map was drawn. L023

NN 0755 5976 Callert Blocked culvert on above-noted section of road. Deeply covered in pine needles and debris but seems to be made of stone and probably early. L024

NN 0781 5970 Callert Hollow-way meeting modern road and L023 at a fording point. It may be the precursor of the military road or a track to higher pasture ground. L025

NN 0825 6004 Callert Stretch of bank running parallel to the modern road. It is probably either a land boundary or related to the course of the earlier road. L026

NN 0504 6671 Inchree Stretch of early military road leaving the course of the present forestry track and heading down to cross the watercourse avoided by the present route. L023

NN 2937 9554 Laggan A gravel bank along the side of the loch might be an earlier route. It is not dissimilar to a stretch a few hundred yards to the S which is validated. L039

NN 0468 6596 Allt Coire Longhouse measuring c20 x 5m externally. Part of Nan Cadrach Corrychurrachan settlement noted on an 18th-century estate plan but not incorporated into RCAHMS NN06NW 3 (see below). L029

NN 0480 6604 Allt Coire Nan Cadrach At least one further building was noted beside a track running from L029. L030

NN 0480 6603 Allt Coire Nan Cadrach The settlement

is depicted on an 18th-century estate plan as the preimprovement

settlement of Corrychurrachan and noted as Allt Coire Nan Cadrach under RCAHMS NN06NW 3. More of

the settlement remains are extant than has been previously recorded. L031

NN 0447 6593 Allt Coire Nan Cadrach Stone dyke in the area of Dalvaia as recorded on an 18th-century estate

plan. This would have formed a part of the settlement of Corrychurrachan (see above). L032

NN 2174 7839 Leanachan The footings of two small cottages or byres survive in the area known from 18th century estate plans as Leanachan Mor and Leanachan Beg.

Archive: FCS, Inverness and RCAHMS

Funder: Forestry Commission Scotland