Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
croft in the middle of nowhere; it's on the A897 4 miles south of the coast road. Turning left instead of right at Syre,
you'll eventually reach the remote, upmarket
Altnaharra Hotel
(
01549-411222;
www.altnaharra.com
;
s/d/su-
perior d £65/130/150;
Mar-Dec;
)
.
BETTYHILL
POP 500
The panorama of a sweeping, sandy beach backed by velvety green hills with bulbous,
rocky outcrops makes a sharp contrast to the sad history of this area. Bettyhill is a crofting
community of resettled tenant farmers kicked off their land during the Clearances. Just
west of town, an enormous stretch of white sand flanks the River Naver as it meets the
sea.
Strathnaver Museum
(
01641-521418;
www.strathnavermuseum.org.uk
;
adult/child
£2/50p; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat Apr-Oct)
, housed in an old church, tells the sad story of
the Strathnaver Clearances through posters written by local kids. The museum contains
memorabilia of Clan Mackay, crofting equipment and a 'St Kilda mailboat', a boat-shaped
container that was used by St Kildans to send messages to the mainland. Outside the back
door of the church is the
Farr Stone
, a fine carved Pictish cross-slab.
A good B&B option is friendly
Farr Cottage
(
01641-521755;
www.bettyhillbedandbreakfast.co.uk
;
Farr; d £60; )
, a cute white house amid beauti-
ful scenery a mile off the main road (follow signs to Farr). Dinner is offered here.
Bettyhill
tourist office
(
01641-521244;
www.visithighlands.com
;
10.30am-4.30pm Mon-Thu, to 7.30pm Fri & Sat Apr-Oct)
has information on the area and
the
cafe
(
01641-521244; mains £5-9; 10.30am-4.30pm Mon-Thu, to 7.30pm Fri &
Sat Apr-Sep, 5-7.30pm Fri & Sat Oct-Mar)
here serves home baking and light meals.
CROFTING & THE CLEARANCES
The wild and empty spaces up in these parts of the Highlands are among Europe's least populated zones, but this
wasn't always so. Ruins of cottages in the most desolate areas are mute witnesses to one of the most heartless
episodes of Scottish history: the Highland Clearances.
Up until the 19th century the most common form of farming settlement here was the
baile,
a group of a dozen
or so families who farmed the land granted to them by the local chieftain in return for military service and a por-
tion of the harvest. The arable land was divided into strips called
rigs,
which were allocated to different families
