A lochside path, which allows people to follow in Rob Roy McGregor’s footsteps along the banks of Loch Lomond, has been included in a list of six routes which uncover Scotland’s secret past.
The Ardess History Trail near Ben Lomond features in the National Trust for Scotland’s new series of Hidden History Trails.
The trails are located at six NTS properties around the country – Ben Lawers, Newhailes, Ben Lomond, St Abb’s Head, Fair Isle and Threave Estate – where the charity’s archaeology team have carried out digs and investigations.
The Ardess route includes the ruins of houses, farm buildings and field-walls, reminders of a community who lived by the banks of Loch Lomond several hundred years ago.
By the early 1800s all but one of the houses on this trail were abandoned.
The people who once lived here spoke Gaelic, hence the name ‘Ardess’ which is Gaelic for the high (ard) waterfall (eas) on the slopes above.
Rob Roy MacGregor owned land there until he was branded an outlaw.
The circular walks, which are mapped or sign-posted, have been drawn up by the National Trust for Scotland’s archaeology team as part of Archaeology Month (September 2020) and coincide with the conservation charity’s Stride Out for Scotland campaign, which is encouraging people to get out and enjoy the places and spaces it cares for.
“The walks really cover everything,” said Derek Alexander, the trust’s head of archaeology. “You’ll see nature, wildlife and archaeology, there really is something for everyone along the routes.
“Normally we would cover these routes on guided walks, but we obviously can’t do that for groups at the moment and are instead encouraging people to discover these places for themselves.
“We know that people want to get out again and enjoy properties but do so in a safe environment. They want to be outdoors and somewhere that has good parking and safe footpaths, that’s the beauty of NTS locations, they offer all of that.
“The trails tell of Scotland’s hidden heritage and some of the things we highlight are very subtle, you would not know what was there until someone actually points out the features in the landscape and tells you the story.
“And more often than not, it’s the archaeology of the everyday. We are telling the stories of Scotland’s people – not of the elites.”
Booklets are available at some of the trail locations, while others will be signposted with interpretation panels which map out the land and show the changes.
You can find out more information about the trails at nts.org.uk and download the trail guide here:
Leave a Reply