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
It appears certain that there were ironworks in the following different
places in Gairloch parish,--
1. Glen Dochartie; three places.
2. Fasagh.
3. Furnace, Letterewe.
4. Talladale.
5. Garavaig, on Slatadale farm.
6. Red Smiddy, near Poolewe.
1. GLEN DOCHARTIE.
The traveller proceeding from Loch Maree to Achnasheen may notice, to
the right of the road, about four hundred yards before the head of Glen
Dochartie is gained, and on the seven hundred feet contour line of the
ordnance survey, a scattered heap of small pieces of the slag No. 1. The
burn runs past not many yards below. No site of a furnace can be
identified. On the other side of the road, about three hundred yards up
the hill, on the thousand feet contour, are more extensive similar
remains, with the same kind of slag. Mr Macadam finds that this slag
contains 66 per cent. of metallic iron, and no lime as silicate. There
is red earth in the neighbourhood resembling what is found with "pans"
of bog iron. The burn runs past, but is now in a deep gully. At the foot
of the glen, more than a mile nearer Kenlochewe, and a little to the
west of the bridge over the burn, are fragments of similar slag, and
traces of charcoal burnings. The place is on the ancient beach, about
twenty feet above the level of the road. No doubt all these remains are
of considerable antiquity; they may perhaps have been parts of the same
undertaking.
2. FASAGH.
The most extensive remains of ironworks on Loch Maree are on the south
side of the Fasagh burn, close to where it runs into the loch. This burn
comes from Loch Fada, a considerable sheet of water to the north of
Slioch. There are remains of a sluice or dam where the burn leaves Loch
Fada, evidently used long ago to regulate the water supply. The burn
flows into Loch Maree at its south-east corner, close to the head of the
loch. There are indications of a large artificial bank, probably the
remains of a dam, formed at right angles to the burn, near the site of
the ironworks; but the burn has of late years been subject to great
floods, that have to some extent varied its course, and altered the
surrounding features.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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