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MHG53214 - Geodha Na H-airbhe

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NC36NE 105 3602 6705
This milestone is situated on the eastern verge of the public road (NC36NE 101) that links a slipway on the Kyle of Durness (NC 3708 6603) to the lighthouse (NC27SE 3.00) at Cape Wrath. The granite block measures 0.3m square in section by 0.6m in maximum height.
The top of the front face comprises a large square facet on which there is an incised number ten, denoting the distance in miles to the lighthouse. This number bears traces of the black paint that once highlighted it against a white painted background. The top of the stone comprises a narrow flat surface only 0.13m in width into which an Ordnance Survey bench-mark or spot-height, indicated by an incised arrow and a small circular hole, has been cut.
The exact date of erection of the milestone is unknown, but it was probably soon after the road was adopted as a public highway in 1833 and it was certainly in place by 1874, when it was surveyed for the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1878, sheet V). A local tradition that the milestones along the 11 mile length of the road were fabricated by lighthouse keepers cannot be substantiated, but it would provide an explanation why there is a variation in their respective designs and dimensions.
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 11 August 2008. <1>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	NC 3601 6704 (point) Approximate
Map sheet	NC36NE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	DURNESS

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