Monument record MHG25886 - Township, Dornie

Thumbnail Photo showing general view of Dornie Township
Wester Ross Project - Cathy Dagg, 03/04
------
The settlement named 'Dorney' is depicted on the OS 1st Edition Map.
J Aitken : 6/2/2004
------
Originally including the present croft lands of Polbain, the farm of Dorney was held by a tacksman until 1848, but it is not clear whether it was lotted after its lease ran out. It now appears to be a farm, with one farmhouse to the east and two dwellings to the west. Areas of rig cutltivation are visible on the hill north of the level fields. The farmhouse is recorded as ‘Merchants’ on the Admiralty map of 1840 and as a post office on the 1st edition OS map.

Just north of the present enclosed land, at NB 9891 1052 is a small enclosure and structures, visible as a bracken-covered patch west of the access road. This would appear to pre-date farm improvements of the 19th century.

An area of rig cultivation with associated buildings lies west of the farm boundary at NB 9872 1022 (NB91SE0024).
Wester Ross Project - Cathy Dagg, 23/03/04
------
NB91SE 16 9891 1052

In the vicinity of Dornie there is a farmstead, a number of boundary banks and a patch of lazy-beds.
The farmstead comprises a building and two enclosures, of which the building measures 14m from NE to SW by 5.6m transversely over faced-rubble walls, 0.7m thick and up to 0.5m in height, and is set into the slope on the NW. To the NE are the much reduced banks of the enclosure and there are traces of another, much reduced enclosure on the SE.
The lazy-beds occupy about 3ha of rough ground to the S of a boundary dyke that runs from WNW to ESE across the valley (NB 9892 1049 to NB 9913 1041). A second dyke runs parallel to this one about 125m to the N. A third dyke of more sinuous form runs from the first bank N towards Loch a' Mheallain.
The 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Cromartyshire 1881, sheet iiia) depicts three farmsteads at Dornie including that recorded above, comprising a total of two unroofed buildings, six roofed buildings and three enclosures. The other two farmsteads are still occupied and no trace of the unroofed building at the southernmost farmstead was visible on the date of survey.
(ACHIL94 290)
Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 10 August 1994

Sites recorded during a survey of the intertidal zone and the coast edge (50m from the mean high tide mark) between the Rivers Ullapool and Culag.
Further details can be found in a report submitted to Historic Scotland.
NB 991 099 Rectangular building complex.
NB 984 101 Slipway.
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Glasgow University Archaeology Department.
A Long 1996