Gairloch in North-West Ross-Shire: Its Records, Traditions, Inhabitants, and Natural History, with a Guide to Gairloch and Loch Maree, and a Map and IllustrationsDixon, John H. (John Henry)
History
Gairloch in North-West Ross-Shire: Its Records, Traditions, Inhabitants, and Natural History, with a Guide to Gairloch and Loch Maree, and a Map and Illustrations
Dixon, John H. (John Henry)
Gairloch (Scotland) -- Guidebooks; Gairloch (Scotland) -- History; Ross and Cromarty (Scotland) -- History
The absence of bog iron in the neighbourhoods of the Gairloch iron
furnaces or bloomeries is quite intelligible; it was no doubt all
consumed by the ironworkers. Considerable quantities of bog iron are
still to be seen in other parts of Gairloch, and their frequent
occurrence throughout the parish confirms the contention that this
description of ore formerly existed near the bloomeries, and was used at
them. Most bog iron is rich in the useful metal. Mr Macadam has analysed
a sample from Golspie, submitted by Dr Joass, and has found it to
contain 54½ per cent. of metallic iron. Some Gairloch samples are nearly
as rich, as will be seen from the results of Mr Macadam's analyses
stated below.
The deposits of bog iron are locally called by the descriptive name of
"pans." The following is a list of places where these deposits occur
within the parish of Gairloch, as so far noticed by Mr Macadam and
myself:--
1. In the churchyard at Sand of Udrigil.
2. At the highest point on the road between Aultbea and Laide.
3. In the village of Cove; masses of bog iron are built into fence
walls.
4. Near Meallan na Ghamhna.
5. Near the Inverasdale Board School, where there are three "pans."
6. In the township of Strath of Gairloch; the "pans" have been
broken up; they say there were several of them.
7. At the north-west end of the township of Lonmor; here too the
"pans" have been broken up, and lumps of bog iron are to be seen
in walls or dykes. Mr Macadam has found 51¼ per cent. of metallic
iron in a heavy sample from this place.
8. Among the sand hills at the easternmost corner of the farm of
Little Sand; one "pan" is entire; another is partly broken up. Mr
Macadam's analysis shews 51½ per cent. of metallic iron in a
sample from this place.
9. At North Erradale; "pans" broken up. Mr Macadam states that a
heavy sample of bog iron from this place yields 49 per cent., and
a sandy portion 38¾ per cent. of metallic iron.
10. At South Erradale. There is a fence wall, locally called Garadh
Iaruinn, or the "iron dyke," entirely composed (for fifty yards of
its length) of masses of bog iron, varying from 3 to 13 inches in
thickness, and some of them nearly a yard in length. The dyke was
erected in 1845, when the present system of crofts was being
established in Gairloch. Quantities of bog iron are also to be
seen in other dykes, and the soil of probably about two acres of
the adjacent cultivated land mainly consists of comminuted bog
iron. There must have been large deposits of it at this place;
one or two unbroken masses still remain _in situ_. Mr Macadam
finds that the heavier kind yields, on analysis, 50 per cent. of
metallic iron, whilst a sandy portion contains 46½ per cent.
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