Historic Assynt’s collections contain photographs, maps, documents and objects that open windows onto the people, places and changing landscapes of Assynt.
Stories from the Archive explores individual items and the stories behind them — from crofts and fishing to archaeology, buildings, family histories and everyday life.
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FROM THE ARCHIVE: ASSYNT GOLF CLUB TROPHIES
In an earlier post, we explored the story of the nine-hole golf course laid out by Eric Chaplin around Eadar a’ Chalda, Ardvreck Castle and Calda House in the early twentieth century. These two surviving trophies add another fascinating piece to the story of golf in Assynt. The silver bowl is the Stewart Trophy, presented to…
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The Inchnadamph Cross
Fragments of this remarkable free-standing stone cross were discovered in Inchnadamph churchyard in 1993, where they had been reused as a grave marker. When complete, the cross is thought to have stood about three metres tall. It has been dated broadly to between the 8th and 11th centuries, making it by far the most northerly…
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The Loss of Avro Anson N9857, Ben More Assynt
On 13 April 1941, during the Second World War, an RAF Avro Anson aircraft crashed high in the mountains above Inchnadamph. All six members of its crew lost their lives. Their story is remembered today in two very different places in the Assynt landscape: at their remote burial place on the slopes of Ben More…
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Old Parish Church Ministers
Ministers and Missionaries of the Old Parish Church of Assynt The religious history of Assynt can be traced through a long succession of clergy associated with the parish. Records extend back into the 15th century, through the post-Reformation parish ministry and into the period when ministers based at Lochinver also preached at Kirkton, Stoer and…
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MacLeod of Assynt Family Tree
For several centuries the MacLeods of Assynt were one of the principal families shaping the history of Assynt. Their story is closely connected with Ardvreck Castle, built by the family in the 16th century, and with the wider political and social history of the area. This family tree traces the MacLeods of Assynt from the…
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The Ardvreck Brooch
This twenty-carat, gold ring brooch was found near Ardvreck Castle in 1999. As Scottish ring brooches are usually silver or copper alloy and fairly plain this is a particularly rare and valuable find. With its traces of blue, white and green enamelling on both sides and carving of the highest quality, it is a fine…
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Ardvrecks Golf Course
Loch Assynt Golf Course Just before the First World War, a nine-hole golf course was laid out in the area between the ruins of Ardvreck Castle and Calda House. It was designed by Eric Chaplin, the Duke of Sutherland’s grandson, and maintained by James MacKenzie of Inchnadamph with his grass-cutting machine and roller, both pulled…
