Bourblaige

The ruins of Bourblaige lie to the east of Ben Hiant

Bourblaige is one of the clachans cleared during the early part of the 19th century by James Riddell, owner of Ardnamurchan Estate, to make way for an extensive sheep farm.  Today, its fallen houses and byres are hardly visible in the open glen once filled with people.  When it was cleared in 1828, the inhabitants were moved to other clachans, such as the Swordle clachans on the north coast, though many left Ardnamurchan altogether.

Bourblaige’s early history is lost in time, but we do know that it was valued at 2 1⁄2 merk land in 1667, and that in 1686 it was registered to a tenant called John Cameron, so it is probable that the settlement is very much older, and was inhabited in MacIain times.

We visited Bourblaige’s site recently on a beautiful spring morning. The only occupants of the village that day was a large herd of red deer, who moved up into the hills at our approach.