Inchnadamph

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Inchnadamph with Stronchrubie Crag behind
Inchnadamph with Stronchrubie Crag behind

Inchnadamph is a hamlet in Assynt, Scotland. The name is an anglicisation of the Gaelic name Innis nan Damh meaning 'meadow of the stags'.[1] Assynt is a remote area with a low population density and Inchnadamph contains a few houses, a lodge and a hotel.

Contents

[edit] History

Inchnadamph Caves
Inchnadamph Caves

The 'Bone Caves' of Inchnadamph contain relics of Eurasian Lynx, Brown Bear, Arctic Fox, Reindeer and human skeletons dated to 6000 BC.[2]

The ruins of Ardvreck Castle lie nearby on the shores of Loch Assynt. The castle was badly damaged in a thunderstorm in 1795. The Old Parish Church of Assynt is located in the village and pieces of an old Celtic cross have been found, dating from the 8th to the 11th century.[3]

[edit] Geology

Peach and Horne monument
Peach and Horne monument

The Moine Thrust runs through the area and the Inchnadamph Hotel is a mecca for geologists. Nearby there is a monument to the work of Ben Peach and John Horne whose work was crucial in the understanding of this, the first thrust fault to be discovered anywhere in the world. The monument's inscription reads: "To Ben N Peach and John Horne who played the foremost part in unravelling the geological structure of the North West Highlands 1883-1897. An international tribute. Erected 1980". The hotel retains a copy of the guest book signed by many prominent geologists of the day who visited during the 1912 British Association for the Advancement of Science excursion to Assynt.[4]

Inchnadamph
Scottish Gaelic: Innis nan Damh
Inchnadamph (Scotland)
Inchnadamph

Inchnadamph shown within Scotland
Council area Highland
Lieutenancy area Sutherland
Constituent country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LAIRG
Postcode district IV27
Dialling code 01571
Police Northern
Fire Highlands and Islands
Ambulance Scottish
European Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Scottish Parliament Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency in the Highlands and Islands electoral region
List of places: UKScotland

Coordinates: 58°09′N 4°59′W / 58.15, -4.98

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Iain Mac an Tailleir. Placenames. Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
  2. ^ Murray, W.H. (1977) The Companion Guide to the West Highlands of Scotland. London. Collins.
  3. ^ Inchnadamph Area List. Scotlandindex.net. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
  4. ^ Dryburgh, P.M. et al (1995) Assynt: The Geologists' Mecca. Edinburgh Geological Society.