They have also been responsible for making safe the ancient ruins of Ardvreck Castle and the 18th century Calda House, both dramatically situated on the shores of Loch Assynt.

The three structures are considered amongst the most historically significant buildings in the north of Scotland and are a magnet for tourists. A survey undertaken in recent years showed that around 26,000 people a year visit Ardvreck Castle, with between 10 and 20 vehicles parked at any one time during any 15-minute period in the summer season.

Historic Assynt marked completion of the intricate and specialist restoration work with a special gathering on Tuesday to which representatives of funding bodies were invited.

Tomorrow (Saturday) they have issued an open invitation to local people and visitors to come along to a special public open day at the Old Kirk, being held as part of Scottish Archaeology Month and Highland Archaeology Fortnight.

Historic Assynt's chairman, Chris Rix, said: "By conserving Ardvreck Castle and Calda House and restoring the Old Parish Kirk, Historic Assynt has ensured the survival of three of the north Highlands' most significant sites and enhanced our understanding of their history and that of the less obvious remains, such as the Laird's mill and kiln barn at Ardvreck and the gardens at Calda House."

A charitable building preservation trust, Historic Assynt, was formed in 1997 amid fears that the three historic buildings could be reduced to mere rubble following decades of neglect. Before work could start, Historic Assynt had to acquire the title to all three sites.

The project team has since worked painstakingly to conserve and consolidate each of the buildings in an appropriate way whilst ensuring the monuments remain for visitors and locals to enjoy.

Funding has been forthcoming from a host of bodies including the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, Highland Council and a large number of charitable trusts and foundations.

As the only complete building, the Old Kirk, unused for 30 years, has been completely restored and remodelled to create a new history, genealogy and interpretation centre for the area. A wedding next month will be the first function to take place in the newly restored building.

In addition to the consolidation of Ardvreck Castle and Calda House, a new car park has been formed along with interpretive panels by Loch Assynt.

But far from resting on their laurels, members of Historic Assynt are now setting their sights on new goals.

Project leader Gordon Sleight said: "There is still much to do.

There have been human settlements around Inchnadamph for at least 5000 years and it was clearly the very heart of the area in the Neolithic era and again from the early Middle Ages through to the clearances in the early 19th century.

"The burial vault of the Macleods of Assynt needs to be conserved. The homestead moat close to the church needs more investigation. It may have been used as a Macleod residence before the building of the castle, but its low-lying watery site close to the spot of an early medieval Celtic cross may hint at earlier origins."

He added: "There are hundreds of archaeological sites throughout Assynt which have never been really investigated, like the important Iron Age broch at Clachtoll which is being damaged by the increasing numbers of visitors who climb over it. Its investigation and conservation are urgently needed and the whole site would benefit from better interpretation facilities for the public."

In a letter to the Northern Times recently, historian Malcolm Bangor-Jones praised Historic Assynt for it work.

He said: "The project represents a major investment in the future of Assynt. It is not just an investment in Assynt as a tourist destination, it is also an investment in Assynt as a place - a way of making connections between the historic past, the present, and the future, and about passing things of great value on to future generations."

Built in the late 15th century, Ardvreck Castle is thought to be the only tower house extant on the west coast mainland north of the Great Glen.

Once the stronghold of the Macleods of Assynt, it occupies a strategic defensive position on a small peninsula jutting out into Loch Assynt on its northern shore.

Probably the most notable event in the castle's history from a national perspective was the imprisonment there of James Graham, Marquis of Montrose, after his defeat at the Battle of Carbisdale in 1650. He was later tried and executed in Edinburgh.

The castle was seized by the Mackenzies in 1672, who abandoned it after building a more comfortable dwelling place - the nearby Calda House - in 1728.

However, Calda House was only lived in for around 20 years before its destruction in 1737 during a dispute over the ownership of Assynt between the Earl of Sutherland and Mackenzie of Seaforth.

Inchnadamph Church was built in 1743 on the site of an earlier church and was substantially altered between 1901 and 1903 by Dingwall architect William Joass who put four dormer windows in the small church's south wall, making it unusual, attractive and bright inside.

carolinem@northern-times.co.uk

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