Lost village discovered in Scotland’s Glencoe

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a village linked to one of the most infamous episodes of Scottish history.

The lost settlement of Achtriochtan lies within Glencoe, where in 1692 members of the Campbell clan murdered their MacDonald hosts.

The village’s 40 or so inhabitants survived that episode and fought alongside Bonnie Prince Charlie during his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Around 100 years later the eight-house settlement was abandoned and then demolished.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) now plans to rebuild one of the dwellings to provide a memorial to the people who once eked out a living in the area.

Derek Alexander, head of archaeology with the NTS, told The Times: “There are no upstanding remains. Little footings of turf-covered walls or foundations are all that survive. Without somebody to point it out to you, you’d probably walk right past it. All that is left is little humps and bumps on the ground.”

An NTS team has been working to locate the village for some months and has so far discovered five buildings, including the local pub.

“One of the buildings has got a little yard in front of it. We think that’s where people put their horses before they popped in for a drink. The records show one of the residents is named as being the keeper of the change house or inn,” Alexander explained.

The researchers have found fragments of glass bottles, earthenware tankards and flagstone flooring.

Emily Bryce, operations manager at the Glencoe visitor centre where the building will be reconstructed, said: “At the time of the Glencoe massacre it is likely that several hundred people made their homes in the harsh environment of the glen and it can be difficult to imagine how they lived. We want to give people a taste of their story.”

Picture: National Trust Scotland