Battlefield record MHG38860 - Site of Farmstead, Blarchattan

The realignment of the Clashaig bend on the AR Trunk Road is due to commence on 15/10/2004. HS has been informed that the farmstead buildings may be located within the development area and an archaeological evaluation in the form of a watching brief has been recommended as the removal of topsoil may reveal the foundations of buildings.
J Aitken: 25/10/2004

A farmstead called 'Blarchattan' is depicted on a map by John Farey dated 1812. It is situated above Red Hector's Bay on the raised beach on the flat area of ground now between the railway and the main road.
Frank MacLennan in his Clyne Place Name series in the Northern Times of the 1950s mentions the above croft, stating that the Blar part of the name means 'Battlefield'. So Blar a' Chattan is simply 'Battlefield of the Sutherlands', and extends for close on a mile from what is now the SW end of Brora.
He goes on to say that "The traditional story is that the Caithness men, making one of their incursions were observed by the Gunns who lived in Kildonan Strath, and who at that time were on friendly terms with their southern neighbours. A body of the Gunns hurried on ahead of the raiders to give warning. At Brora, to delay the enemy, they destroyed the bridge. The Sutherland men had time to gather, and the opposing forces met on this level stretch just outside Brora. Victory went to the Sutherlands.
Frank also recalls that the place of the battle must have been transferred to the croft (mentioned by Farey on his map) at the SW end of the battlefield. Dudgeon Park, Brora Ranger's football pitch occupies part of what was the croft, and the croft boundary extended down to the sea. The croft was incorporated into Inverbrora Farm around 1818, when the farm was first leased to Mr Charles Hood.
My own research has also confirmed that the croft buildings existed in 1818, as they are depicted on an early estate plan made by Francis Suther (then Factor to the Marquis of Stafford), and this plan also shows the old peat dykes (Fael Dykes) demarking the croft boundary.
In the same area, Frank relates that 'The Clashag' in the olden days would have been 'An Clashag' - the little hollow. The name is now used for part of the A9 which skirts around the top of the hollow, to the SW of the village. The tradition says that there was a burial ground here, and possibly a chapel. In later times the name was applied to a croft. It is not surprising to learn, states frank, that the Clashag was haunted.
Information supplied by J Aitken: 18/10/2004

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