Achvarasdal

Coordinates: 58°33′32″N 3°44′41″W / 58.55901°N 3.7447°W / 58.55901; -3.7447
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Achvarasdal
  • Scottish Gaelic: Achadh Bhàrrasdail
Achvarasdal is located in Caithness
Achvarasdal
Achvarasdal
Location within the Caithness area
OS grid referenceNC985647
Council area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Postcode districtKW14 7
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
58°33′32″N 3°44′41″W / 58.55901°N 3.7447°W / 58.55901; -3.7447

Achvarasdal (from the

Highland council area
.

Geography

Achvarasdal lies 1 mile (1.6 km) east of

Sandside Bay to the west.[4] Loch Achbuiligan lies to the north, and the hamlet of Isauld
to the northwest.

Landmarks

The area includes a broch in which the lower parts of the wall are preserved, including a chamber and traces of a staircase.[5] The floor of the broch was covered with gravel in 2019 to stop weed growth, but there is still giant hogweed infesting the wallheads and surroundings.

There is a small outcrop of haematite iron at Achvarasdal.[6] Attempts at iron ore mining were made in the early 1870s, and an 1874 map reveals that a windmill was built, probably for pumping.[7] A cairn in the area indicates that it was a burial place of a Celtic maormer or a Norse warrior.[8]

Achvarasdal House and Wood

Achvarasdal House stands near the broch, in a patch of woodland that is accessible to the public.

The house was once owned by the Pilkington family.[6] The house and vicinity has been excavated and two prostrate stones and a brooch were discovered.[9][10] A. D. Pilkington of Achvarasdal House was the President of the local Gardener's Society in 1946.[11]

The house was used as a care home until 2018, run by Crossreach (formerly the Church of Scotland Board of Social Responsibility).[12]

The house and grounds are now privately owned as a family residence. [13]

The wood includes 19 native and several foreign tree species, and is home to a variety of lichens, mosses and invertebrates.[14] The wood is accessible by wheelchair.

References

  1. ^ Gaelic and Norse in the Landscape: Placenames in Caithness and Sutherland Scottish National Heritage.
  2. ^ W. F. H. Nicolaisen. "'Scandinavians and Celts in Caithness: the place-name evidence'" (PDF). Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  3. ^ Thomas Owen Clancy. "Gaelic In Medieval Scotland" (PDF). Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  4. ISBN 978-1-84171-291-8
    .
  5. ^ "The Caithness Broch Project". The Caithness Broch Project. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  6. ^ a b Smith, John Smart (1988). The County of Caithness. Scottish Academic Press. pp. 97, 149.
  7. ^ "ACHVARASDAL WOODLAND MANAGEMENT GROUP". Caithness.org. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  8. ISBN 978-1-107-69280-0
    .
  9. ^ List of ancient monuments in Scotland. HMSO, Scottish Development Dept. 1983. p. 16.
  10. ^ Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Society. 1980. p. 133.
  11. ^ Gardeners' Chronicle, Horticultural Trade Journal. Haymarket Publishing. 1946. p. 239.
  12. ^ "Achvarasdal". Crossreach. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Former Caithness care home sold". John o' Groat Journal. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  14. ^ "9 Easy Walks In the Highlands of Scotland". Walking in Scotland. Retrieved 27 April 2018.


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