Noble Duke and Duchess

The Duke and Duchess of Portland at Badbea

Langwell Lairds Past and Present – Is it the Dawn of a New Day?

Written by Alexander Gunn aka A Native of Badbea. Printed in the Northern Ensign 26 June 1894 Part D

To the Editor of the Northern Ensign

Continued from previous blog..

The Sixth Duke and Duchess of Portland

Source: http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/portland1907/portland8.htm

“But I must return to the noble Duke and Duchess, who wandered along as far as Auchincraig, and down to the shore, deserted and forgotten. Well do I remember when 13 boats went out from that creek during the herring fishing season, when thousands of barrels of herrings were cured, and hundreds of pounds of hard cash circulated in the district: but when Auchincraig was desolated this industry ceased. 

From the North East Folklore Archive

One wonders what was the Duke's idea in visiting these places, and causing the path down to the shore to be repaired. Has he been thinking of repairing the waste places, and putting Auchincraig under inhabitants once more? The Duke has done many noble and commendable deeds since coming into possession, but such a deed as I am surmising as possible would add a laurel to his crown far above and beyond any of his former acts. Auchincraig, divided into lots, with hill pasture all the way to the Black Dyke to the east, and below the turnpike road to the west as far as Auld House, Eshlaven, Clashvrick, adjoining Auchincraig, where there were three tenants, would make a fine lot for one with a share of the hill pasture described. Then Polbait would make a nice little lot. Then one tenant in the Borgue, and four or five in the Slure, with hill pasture, all below the turnpike road to the Ord on the west and to the quarry west of the Black Park on the side of Ousdale - such a division would leave the Ousdale tenant with a very respectable farm and on the other hand it would not disturb the Duke's deer. Then the repairing of the path to the shore would have some meaning and some use too.”

To be continued...

A close look at the Google Earth picture of Achnacraig shows the 

remains of two possible tracks down the hill to the shore. 

My Comments:

Achnacraig and Auchincraig, Highlands are the same place. There are probably other places with similar names in Scotland.

It is interesting that back in the days of intense crofter occupancy, every small hamlet had its own name, significance and could be easily located. Plus Alexander Gunn's remarkable memory recalls these places. 

There are plenty of on-line resources discussing the importance of the herring industry to the north of Scotland. See for example http://www.nefa.net. For decades Alexander Gunn wrote with unabated wrath and passion about Donald Horne’s closing down the fishing industry and clearing the residents at Auchnacraig. No real justification was ever found for this senseless clearance and loss of both an income and way of life for the residents. Looking at the maps it is clear that the steep land at Auchnacraig would never be productive farmed with sheep. The Ousdale farm nearby was not part of the Achnacraig activities.

As usual Alexander Gunn repeats his wish that these lost hamlets will one day be restored to Langwell tenants.