Ardross (
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...
: ''Àird Rois'', high-point of
asterRoss) is a rural area in the
Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
region of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, north of the nearest city,
Inverness. Ardross lies near the
B9176, inland from the east-coast town of
Alness
Alness (, ; gd, Alanais) is a town and civil parish in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. It lies near the mouth of the River Averon, near the Cromarty Firth, with the town of Invergordon 3 miles (5 km) to the east, and the village of Evanton ...
and progressively becomes more mountainous to the west and north.
The area is populated by a small rural community mainly confined to the more fertile lower slopes to the east and the glacial glens of
Strathrusdale and
Strathy (Ardross). The total area comprises about , most of which is lower slope farming, commercial pine forest on foothills and open mountain to the north and west. The largest concentration of dwellings are in the village of Dublin comprising about 30 houses and a church, so named as it was founded by Irish immigrant workers who built
Ardross Castle.
History
The earliest inhabitants of Ardross were the
Picts
The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland (north of the Firth of Forth) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and what their culture was like can be inferred from e ...
(6-10th century), and there are still recognisable remains of Pictish
roundhouses at various locations in the area. The most notable surviving artefacts of their time in Ardross are two carved stone slabs depicting a wolf and a deer, some of the finest surviving Pictish animal symbols ever discovered, which are now displayed at
Inverness Museum. The carvings were recovered from a drystone wall in Stittenham, Ardross in 1891. After the 10th century, habitation of the area became progressively more influenced by the Norse.
The
Duke of Sutherland bought the Ardross Estate in the late 18th century, and in 1845, sold it to
Sir Alexander Matheson, 1st Baronet
Sir Alexander Matheson, 1st Baronet, JP, DL (16 January 1805 – 26 July 1886) was a British China merchant, Liberal Member of Parliament, and railway entrepreneur.
Life and career
The son of John Matheson Esq of Ardross and Attadale, Ross ...
for £90,000.
Matheson improved the estate and placed it under the supervision of factor William MacKenzie, an engineer by profession. By 1875 the number of agricultural tenants had increased fivefold to over 500, with around of arable land being improved. The architect Alexander Ross was commissioned to re-design Ardross Castle in the
Scots Baronial
Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Scot ...
style and following Sir Alexander's death, his son, Sir Kenneth Matheson, sold the estate in 1898 to
Charles William Dyson Perrins
Charles William Dyson Perrins FRAS (25 May 1864 – 29 January 1958) was an English businessman, bibliophile and philanthropist. He was born in Claines, near Worcester, the son of James Dyson Perrins, the owner of the Lea & Perrins Worcestersh ...
, a Captain in the
Highland Light Infantry
The Highland Light Infantry (HLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881. It took part in the First and Second World Wars, until it was amalgamated with the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1959 to form the Royal Highland Fus ...
, with interests in the Worcester Royal Porcelain Company and
Lea & Perrins
Lea & Perrins (L&P) is a United Kingdom-based subsidiary of Kraft Heinz, originating in Worcester, England where it continues to operate. It is best known as the maker of Lea & Perrins brand of Worcestershire sauce, which was first sold in 183 ...
(Worcester) sauce. The estate was broken up and sold in 1937. Mr and Mrs Austin Mardon purchased Ardross Castle and of associated land and lived there until 1983, when the castle and grounds were sold to the McTaggart family, who began a program of restoration work. The castle is now used as a wedding and conference venue.
In 2022, the castle was used as filming location for
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
reality television series ''
The Traitors'', and for the subsequent
American series The American Series (Spanish: ''La Temporada Americana'') was a set of baseball games played between Cuban and American teams in Cuba. An American team would travel to Cuba and play various professional, all-star and/or amateur Cuban teams throughou ...
.
Famous people from Ardross include
Sir John McKenzie, who emigrated to New Zealand and became a prominent politician. He is remembered in New Zealand as the
Minister of Lands and Agriculture who developed a policy which disfavored large landowners. This stemmed from his experience in Ardross where he was deeply moved by the misery he witnessed among tenants on Ardross Estate. Some of his near relatives suffered in this way and were forced to emigrate to Canada and the United States. Many years later McKenzie related how, when once walking home with his father, he came upon a number of dispossessed tenant farmers who had been forced to camp in the local cemetery at Ardross Church as there was nowhere else to go. Many years earlier, in 1792 tenants at
Strathrusdale, which forms the western area of Ardross, led a famous revolt against landowner's such as the Duke of Sutherland who were pursuing a policy of
clearing land.
Local area
The community has its own primary school with a roll of about 35 pupils and a recently built well-founded village hall for hosting local community activities and social events. Other local services can be found in the nearby town of
Alness
Alness (, ; gd, Alanais) is a town and civil parish in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. It lies near the mouth of the River Averon, near the Cromarty Firth, with the town of Invergordon 3 miles (5 km) to the east, and the village of Evanton ...
. Most inhabitants of the area today are employed in the
North Sea oil
North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid petroleum and natural gas, produced from petroleum reservoirs beneath the North Sea.
In the petroleum industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea ...
industry, forestry, agriculture or the provision of local services.
References
External links
* Community Website
Ardross.netArdross Castle
{{Authority control
Populated places in Ross and Cromarty
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes