CRASK OF AIGAS

The Crask of Aigas lies some five miles from the village of Beauly on the road leading to Strathglass. "The Crask" as it is known locally is a small hamlet of some nine old houses most of which are over 100 years old and have been added to and improved over the years.

Four of the houses are holiday homes, normally unoccupied during the winter months, but providing accommodation for holiday makers, owners or tenants throughout the summer. During the last four years, two new homes have been built by people with young families, which is good for the area as the younger children attend the local Primary School at Teanassie, while those of secondary school age travel to Inverness. Visitors travelling along the main road may stop at the lay-by at The Crask to look over the deep gorge with the river running through it. When they view Eilean Aigas House, built on the large island which gives it its name, they little realise that a few minutes walk up the access road reveals the houses, which are not immediately apparent from the main road. The access road, which is narrow, but allows the use of a vehicle if necessary, winds steeply up through the hamlet passing the old smithy, now converted into a recording studio. Higher up, through some farmland it affords some splendid views over to Kiltarlity, the hills to the south beyond which lies Glenurquhart, to the west Strathglass itself and the hills round Glen Affric and eastwards back down river to the Beauly Firth and Inverness.

Coming back down to the main road and continuing west, immediately on rounding the corner from The Crask itself, Strathglass opens out with the new nine hole golf course built in 1993 in the foreground. Next to the golf course is the old mansion house of Aigas, formerly the residence of the owners of the old Aigas Estate. Aigas House is now a Field Centre for groups coming to study the local environment and its wildlife. It was for a time a residential home for the elderly until new regulations made this uneconomic.

The first house to be built on the Crask of Aigas was South View. Completed in 1888, it was called "Three in One Cottage" as it was intended to house staff retiring from the Aigas Estate, namely the personal maid to the lady of the Mansion House, the Housekeeper and the Cook.

From the west facing windows, the Mansion House and the Home Farm buildings can be seen. Each of the three apartments in the building had a bedroom, living room and kitchen with running water. Toilets were provided outside.

The Estate joiner lived in "Cherry Cottage", now called "An Airidh" and the gamekeeper in a house built further up the hill at Macinaceap. The house called "Craig Cottage", presently occupied by Mr. And Mrs. Cunningham was the abode and workshop of the tailor.

                                   Valuation Roll – 1893/94

Mansion House and Garden – James William Gordon-Oswald.
Shooting – J.W. Gordon-Oswald.
Donald Davidson – Gardener
John Grant – Coachman
Alexander MacKenzie – Gamekeeper
Charles Gibson – Ploughman
Duncan MacKenzie – Grieve
Schoolhouse – Proprietor for Occupier
House/shop – Hugh Cameron, Shoemaker
House – Charles Campbell, Carpenter
Cottage/smithy – Alex MacRae, Blacksmith
Cottage/shop – John Ross, Tailor
Cottage/shop – William Fraser, Merchant
House/garden – John Cameron, Shepherd

                                           1869/70

House, land and shooting, Mansion House, Mains of Aigas – Mrs. Jemima Chisholm, Batton of Thorn Falcon, Somerset.
House and Wellhouse, Aigas – John Fraser
Shop and land – William Campbell
Croft and Cottage - " "
Cottage - " "

                                           1870/71

Inn and lands, Wellhouse of Aigas – John M. Fraser
Schoolhouse, Aigas – possibly where Druim Cottage now is.

                                           1873/74

Mansion House and shooting – L.C. Andrew Hunt.