Badbea Clearance Village ***
Region: Caithness, Sutherland & Ross
© Copyright Martyn Gorman and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Description:
This is a former clearance village above the cliff tops of Berriedale on the east coast of Caithness. The village was settled in the 18th and 19th centuries by families evicted from their homes when the straths of Langwell, Ousdale and Berriedale were cleared for the establishment of sheep farms. The last resident left the village in 1911, and in
© Copyright Carron K and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
that year David Sutherland, the son of former inhabitant Alexander Robert Sutherland, who had emigrated to New Zealand in 1838, erected a monument, built from the stones of John Sutherland's home, in memory of his father and the people of Badbea. Today, the ruins of the village are preserved as a tourist attraction and memorial to the Highland Clearances. The dwellings have all fallen into ruin, and little remains other, than a few drystone walls, although the outlines of the buildings and the remains of the crop fields are still visible. Three stars? Very much a yes, because of the historical significance!!