Monument record MHG4477 - Crathie Township

Centred at NN 580 940, on both banks of the Markie Burn at about 900ft OD, there is the depopulated township of Crathie (OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., 1903).
It comprises about 61 buildings (of which 3 are still roofed), 25 small enclosures and a corn-drying kiln at NN 5747 9421. The houses vary in size from 5m x 3.5m to 24m x 4m; the walling ranges from grass-covered footings to 2.5m in height. There are a number of enclosed fields.
The major part of Crathie was deserted in late 19th century. More buildings were evacuated in1920's. In 1960 further depopulation was instigated by Sir William Ramsden (Info from Captain J H Macpherson, Dunmore, Newtonmore, Inverness-shire).
Visited by OS (N K B) 11 October 1965.

A township, comprising thirty-nine roofed, three partially, twelve unroofed buildings, enclosures, field-system and two lengths of head-dyke is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire 1872, sheet cxv). Four roofed, twenty-nine unroofed buildings, field-system and the head-dykes are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1971).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 26 September 1996.

Features relating to this township were marked out prior to the proposed use of a borrow pit for access track building materials, to avoid damage by works associated with the operation. The township remains had previously been surveyed as part of a wider programme of archaeological survey associated with the proposed Beauly to Denny 400kV overhead transmission line.
The report on the marking out survey, linked to this record, includes a plan illustrating the extent of the buildings, dry stone walls and enclosures recorded in the vicinity of the borrow pit and the access track. These remains are likely to date to the 19th century. The remains in this area consist of a total of seven buildings, three enclosures and a series of clearance cairns and dry stone walls. A recent access track had clearly cut across and buried an older track which would have served as access to this part of the township. All of the features are defined by relatively low-lying and collapsed dry stone walls, although the gable end of one building remains upstanding. The visible features correpond approximately to those depicted on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of the area. <1>

<1> Sneddon, D, 2011, Beauly to Denny 400kV Overhead Transmission Line: Crathie Borrow Pit (Text/Report/Fieldwork Report). SHG25382.