Rosal clearance village is a scheduled ancient monument, comprising the remains of a once thriving Highland township, which was cleared of its inhabitants to make way for sheep in 1814. Rosal is one of the best-known clearance sites thanks to evicted resident Donald MacLeod who wrote extensively about the village and his experience of the clearances in a series of letters to the Edinburgh Chronicle in 1840, later bound together as the book Gloomy Memories. The site remains an important component of local cultural history, but despite this high profile, current signage and visitor infrastructure is limited and footfall is very low.
In 2024 NSCFT were successful with both a Community Asset Transfer application to Forestry and Land Scotland for taking over the site, and a funding application to the Scottish Land Fund for the cost of purchasing the site.
NSCFT’s primary objective at Rosal is the preservation, interpretation and promotion of the clearance village and other historic sites for locals and visitors. We will do this by:
- improving the recreational infrastructure and signage
- establishing a programme of guided walks and schools visits
- enhancing interpretation and promotion of the site
- developing opportunities for community volunteering
- employing a Project Officer to take day-to-day responsibility for the management and development of the site
We at NSCFT are working closely with Strathnaver Museum, Historic Environment Scotland, Highland Council and other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive project to research, preserve and enhance the clearance village.
We are looking forward to bringing this iconic local asset into community ownership, allowing us to showcase the breadth of archaeological history and Gaelic heritage within and around Rosal; telling the story of our history and hopes for the future.