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MHG140 - Township, Tarbert

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Centred on 681 638
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Tarbert township is situated on a SE-facing slope on either side of a small unnamed stream, which issues into a small bay to the SW of Rubha Bhuailte and Salen Bay. It was inhabited at least by 1716 and numbered four families (22 people) in 1723. It is marked on both Alexander Bruce’s “Plan of Loch Sunart” in 1733 and Roy’s Map of 1747-55. The extant structures may not have been built until after 1849, in which year a lease allowed for the construction of new houses. (SORG, 2001, 44) The houses, marked on William Bald’s detailed “Plan of Ardnamurchan and Sunart”, 1806-7, in the same location may have been earlier dwellings of turf or creel. The population of Tarbert gradually dwindled through the 19th century and the site was abandoned by 1872.

The settlement consists of at least twelve houses, accompanied by a head-dyke and evidence of cultivation in the form of clearance cairns, rig and furrow and terraces. The latter seem to pre-date the rig and furrow. The corn-drying kiln, SMR NM66SE0017, may have been associated, though it is some distance from the focus of the settlement. The round-angled rectangular houses are mostly between 7m and 8m long though two are 10.60m and 10.80m long. All have thick drystone walls, some with a pronounced batter, such as at Houses 5 and 17, which taper from 0.75m at the base to 0.45m and 0.55m respectively at the top. Most are dilapidated but some are sufficiently well-preserved to reveal evidence of cruck slots, eg at Houses 4, 6 and particularly 11. A small cell constructed in the SW corner of House 15 may be associated with wartime military training.

Clearance cairns, rig and furrow and terraces are situated to the NW, above the old road, which was recorded on Bald’s Map. Remnants of the head-dyke, Sites 2, 3 and 13, are visible along the SE and SW sides and a later turf and stone bank, Site 1, possibly associated with woodland enclosure, runs along the SE side. A sheepfold, possibly dating to a later phase is situated to the E of the houses.

The site was afforested in the early 1960’s and was surveyed by JG Robertson in 2001 prior to harvesting. The crop to the W of the track has since been harvested and some of the houses have sustained damage as a result of these operations; coursed walls have collapsed in several houses eg House 16, and a machinery track has cut through the NW end of House 17. Much of the site is covered by brash and new vegetation and is consequently difficult to inspect.
Field Verification Project (West Lochaber) - J Robertson, 03/2004
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(Name: NM 6810 6378) Tarbert (NAT)
OS 6"map, Argyllshire, 2nd ed., (1902)

This name applies to the ruins of a small village. (Ten unroofed buildings shown on OS 6"map)
Name Book 1872

(NM 681 637) Not visited. The date of depopulation is not known locally.
Visited by OS (R L) 27 May 1970

Ten unroofed buildings are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Argyllshire 1875, sheet xxvi), but they are not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1990).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 7 May 1998

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NM 6810 6370 (100m by 100m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NM66SE
Civil Parish	ARDNAMURCHAN
Geographical Area	LOCHABER

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