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MHG23079 - Balnacarn

Summary

The township at Balnacarn, incorporating a farm steading.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

A small settlement labelled 'Balnagarn' is shown at this location surrounded by cultivated fields on the Roy Military Survey Maps. <1>

A township, comprising six roofed buildings one of which is a farmsteading, one partially roofed building, two unroofed buildings, one unroofed strucuture of two compartments which may be a building and two enclosures is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire 1874, sheet lxvii). Four roofed, five unroofed buildings and four enclosures are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1974).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 23 May 1996.

The farmsteading at Balnacarn has been extensively remodelled. Four large pitch roofed agricultural buildings/stores stand on the site. To the W of the township, a small building sits at the SE corner of a ruined enclosure. It is much altered, with a corrugated tin roof. Photograph taken on a site visit by K McCorquodale, Highland Council. <2>

The farmstead and associated features were photographed in March and May 2011 prior to construction work for a new hydro scheme. A watching brief was then conducted during site clearance works. Prior desk-based assessment had demonstrated clear differences between the buildings as surveyed in 1871 and those visible today. The present farm steading appears to stand on a different alignment, apart from the silage pit to the east of the present buildings which seems to have been constructed from the remains of a formerly roofed building. The dam and mill lade visible in 2011 are not depicted on the 1871 Ordnance Survey map and are probably later (see MHG54963).

The surviving steading buildings were observed to be in very poor condition with parts of the roof in danger of collapse. There was no evidence for the northern building shown in 1871 suggesting comprehensive remodelling of the site. Blocked windows and doorways in the buildings show adaptations since they were built, presumably for farm machinery. The west range has been added onto a previously L-shaped structure and the space between roofed over. <3> <4>

The concrete area found adjacent to the eastern end of the steading was not removed so it was not possible to establish whether the remains of any earlier buildings are present on the site. <5>

What may have been the northern part of its boundary is visible as a low linear earthwork on vertical aerial photography (see MHG65887). The other boundaries are likely to have been watercourses, but there have been significant changes to their courses so the original boundaries are difficult to discern, apart from the southern boundary which is likely to have been the River Moriston. <6> <7> <8>

NOTE: On the Roy Military Survey maps, 'Balnagarn' is shown to lie on the west side of a burn, which in comparison with modern OS maps, is presumed to be the Allt Baile nan Carn, although the current location of the farmstead is primarily on the east side of the burn. Roy shows a township further to the west of the burn labelled 'Ballindumbuy'. However, there is clearly something amiss here as the closest settlement to the west of Balnacarn should actually be a settlement called 'Craskie' (see MHG2593), but this is shown by Roy even further to the west. The modern farmstead/settlement of Balintombuie (the presumed modern spelling of Roy's 'Ballindumbuy' and see MHG23080) lies to the east of Balnacarn and is shown at this location on the OS 1st Edition map. Roy also shows another settlement labelled 'Balintom' to the southeast of 'Balnagarn' (Balnacarn), which would actually be the correct postioning if 'Balintom' should actually be 'Balintombuie'. This confusing situation is not helped by Roy's depiction of the larger watercourses that flow from the north and where he places the various settlements in relation to them. Both Roy and the OS 1st Edition (and modern OS) show three. On Roy, the westernmost joins the central one to the north of the various settlements by way of a bend which takes its course eastwards. This is not how they are depicted on later mapping where all three follow their own separate courses southwards. Further, the (former) presence of an eastwards running watercourse is not supported in modern contour rendering. It may have been possible to compare the Roy settlement locations with their modern positions relative to bends in the River Moriston to the south and likewise by other features and settlements including those on the south side of the River. However, it is clear there have been some changes in its course over the years and Roy unhelpfully does not name some of the settlements south of the river. To take a slightly wider area, in a line running from west to east, Roy places settlements in the order 'Tomcraskie', 'Craskie', 'Ballendumbuy', 'Balnagarn' and 'Ballintom'. The OS 1st Edition and modern order would be 'Tomchrasky', 'Craskie', 'Balnacarn' and Balintombuie', with 'Ballintom' unlocated, presuming it existed and wasn't actually supposed to be 'Balintombuie'. The actual location of Balintombuie should not really be in doubt as its name refers to 'Tom Bhuide', a small hill which is located just to the south-southeast of the current farmstead. What is apparent is that Roy has incorrectly depicted the courses of the various burns and the settlements beside them and has transposed the names of at least two settlements and possibly created another where one may not have existed. [IS-L 15/05/2026].

Sources/Archives (8)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 2751 1289 (787m by 655m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH21SE
Civil Parish	URQUHART AND GLENMORISTON
Geographical Area	INVERNESS

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (2)

External Links (1)