Clashach Quarry
Harbour (19th Century), Quarry (19th Century), Smithy (19th Century)
Site Name Clashach Quarry
Classification Harbour (19th Century), Quarry (19th Century), Smithy (19th Century)
Canmore ID 358006
Site Number NJ17SE 19
NGR NJ 16296 70278
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/358006
- Council Moray
- Parish Duffus
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Moray
- Former County Morayshire
Field Visit (23 November 2017)
The first edition of the OS 6-inch map (Elgin 1873, sheet II) depicts Clashach Quarry and the small harbour and smithy that served it. The complex is described in the contemporary Name Book (Morayshire Vol 9, p.45). The quarry, which is still in use, exported sandstone, via the harbour, to London and other parts of England, though it notes that exports to London had fallen due to a dangerous entrance to the ‘port’. The harbour is noted as being able to accommodate vessels of 40-50 tons and drawing 5 feet of water. Both the harbour and the quarry were owned by Sir William Gordon Cumming of Altyre.
Today, except for its NE end, all trace of the late-19th century quarry (NJ 1626 7015) has been subsumed into the modern workings. The smithy (NJ 1628 7028) has been reduced to grass-grown footings and all that is now visible of the harbour (NJ 1624 7030), which measured only about 37m from NW to SE by 20m, are the footings of a thick wall that once extended across the intertidal zone and formed the NE and NW sides, the latter hosting a crane. There was a 19m wide entrance on the SW side.
Visited by HES (AGCH, ZB, JB) 23 November 2017.
