Achblair
In 1854, William Fraser sold Guisachan Estate to Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks (later to become Lord Tweedmouth). While the Frasers had viewed the estate as a source of income, Tweedmouth approached it as a something that money was to be lavished upon.
The estate lands occupied by tenant farmers and crofters were replaced by a single new estate-run “model farm” centred on a magnificent steading complete with clock tower. This signalled the end for the small townships such as Achblair, where tenants whose families had worked the land for generations on small farms, were removed.
The image above gives details of those living at Achblair at the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses. The tenants were either accommodated in the new model village of Tomich and became employees of the estate, or were simply evicted and moved elsewhere.
The estate maps above, drawn just under twenty five years apart, show the landscape changes resulting from ‘improvements’ on the Guisachan estate. In 1856 there are more than twenty buildings and an enclosure at Achblair. By 1880 they are gone – from the map perhaps, but the remains of several structures still exist today. Unfortunately we don’t have access to maps prior to the 1790s but we can be sure that Achblair was inhabited long before then.
In 2020 Achblair was ‘discovered’ within the Lower Guisachan Forest by one of SHA’s members. The site remained untouched till 2023 when, in preparation for the creation of our heritage trail, work began to clear the moss and vegetation from some of the old houses. One structure has been totally, and two others partially, cleared to reveal the stone foundations. We also know the locations of several more structures and the track shown on the 1876 map above. The houses originally would have had timber frames attached to form the roof, covered with turf and then thatched with dried grass. For more detaild information on how the houses were built visit Electric Scotland.
SHA hope to locate and clear all the remaining buildings including removal of trees growing within or that have fallen across some of the structures.
Clearing a ruin at Achblair 2023
Site Information
SHA Site No: 9
Site Status:
Location: NH 3064 2618 Landranger OS 26
Three words: member.baseballs.remember
Period: Post-mediaeval
Date: c. 18th Century
Site Owner: Forestry & Land Scotland
Open: 24 Hours
Access: Forest road
Grade: Moderate
Parking: Entrance to forestry NH 3021 2631
Notes: Observe any notices re forestry operations
From Tomich village take the Plodda road, left at the fork, and after 1km turn into forest road on left hand side. Park here or further on at the entrance to forest – keep gates clear! The track to Achblair lies straight ahead heading uphill for just over 1km. A marker post on left indicates entrance to the old township.