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.
The transfer of the Rosal Clearance Village site to NSCFT was completed in February 2026. We are delighted to have brought this iconic local asset into community ownership. Our thanks to the Scottish Land Fund for enabling us to make this happen. Ownership of the site will allow us, alongside the local community and other groups, 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.
Between 2024 and 2026 we hosted a range of events and activities to highlight the importance of the site and the Clearances as a key period in the area’s cultural history. These events included: a community walk to and around the site; genealogy workshops; a Clearance-related shadow puppetry workshop; and a re-enactment of Patrick Sellar’s trial at Syre Church. We are grateful to the SSE Strathy North Wind Farm Community Fund for funding the above activities and events.
In June 2026, to mark the community acquisition of Rosal, we hosted two days of events (including: a site visit with expert tour guides; pop-up cafe event alongside Strathnaver Hall Committee; an evening of music and poetry in collaboration with Feis air an Oir, The Big Sing and other local performers; and a special service at Syre Church to commemorate those forced from their homes during the Clearance, featuring Melvich Gaelic Choir).
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, working alongside our partners, 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, neighbouring landowners and other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive project to research, preserve and enhance the clearance village.