Altnaharra (Just to keep you educated)

[Casey]

Altnaharra, the small township at the head of Loch Naver in Sutherland has a crossroads with two large stone pillars approximately ten feet high by three in diameter.

They were erected about 1850 at the instigation of the Duke of Sutherland who felt that there should be signposts at the crossroads for the guidance of travellers unfamiliar with the country. A ploughman was sent from Tongue Mains with two carts to collect stones for pillars from the Glencraggach Quarry at Drumholistan on the Caithness / Sutherland border and convey them to Altnaharra the following day. The stones were duly loaded on the carts, and the ploughman set out.

At that time, and for many years afterwards, the crossing of the River Halladale was by chain-ferry, a raft pulled across by winch. The ferryman took one look at the loaded carts and refused the ploughman passage on account of their weight. A considerable diversion had to be made by way of Strath Halladale.

The weather was very wet, and when he arrived at Kinbrace the burns were too full to be forded. His only recourse was to take an even longer way round by the Strath of Kildonan to the coast road, thence by Rogart to Lairg, and on to Altnaharra.

The ploughman would have travelled approximately 30 miles each day, and in bad weather without protective clothing. His journey must have been long and arduous.

Nevertheless, the stones were duly delivered to Altnaharra and the weary ploughman made for home in Tongue, where he died of pneumonia leaving a widow and a two year old son.

In 1939 the War Office ordered that the inscription on the stones be removed in case of an enemy landing. The pillars used to carry the directions:- TO TONGUE: TO DURNESS THRU STRATHMORE, and on the other:- TO GOLSPIE: TO BETTYHILL THRU STRATHNAVER.

From the Scots Magazine June 1987.

The ploughman (???? McPherson) was the great grandfather of the late William McPherson from Bonar Bridge.

[Billy Boy]

what a great story casey' i'll remember that one the next time i pass altnaharra and think of the poor ploughman and his long journey

[Phoebus_Apollo]

Very interesting...I`ll have to have a closer look at them the next time I`m in that region...