Achnacarry

Coordinates: 56°56′43″N 4°59′53″W / 56.945171°N 4.998183°W / 56.945171; -4.998183

Achnacarry
Scottish Gaelic: Achadh na Cairidh
Achnacarry Castle
Achnacarry  Achnacarry shown within the Highland council area
OS grid reference	NN176877
Council area	Highland
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Postcode district	PH34 4
Police	Northern
Fire	Highlands and Islands
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Achnacarry (Scottish Gaelic: Achadh na Cairidh; 'field of the fish-trap/weir') is a small hamlet, private estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of Highland, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the west.

The settlement has a long association with Clan Cameron, Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel built the original Achnacarry Castle in about 1655. This was destroyed by government troops after the Battle of Culloden, but "New Achnacarry" was built on the same site in Scottish Baronial style in 1802. It was used as a Commando Training Depot in World War II and the village retains close ties to British Commandos, the United States Army Rangers and similar units from other Allied nations. In 1928, the Achnacarry Agreement was signed, an early attempt to set petroleum production quotas.

Geography

Achnacarry is not far from the village of Spean Bridge and about 15 miles north of the town of Fort William.

"As you approach Achnacarry, which lies rather low, but is surrounded by very fine trees, the luxuriance of the tangled woods, surmounted by rugged hills, becomes finer and finer till you come to Loch Arkaig, a little over half a mile from the house. This is a very lovely loch, reminding one of Loch Katrine, especially where there is a little pier, from which we embarked on board a very small but nice screw steamer which belongs to Cameron of Lochiel."--Royal Visit to Achnacarry, from the Journal of Queen Victoria, Friday, September 12, 1873.

History

In 1665 the Stand-off at the Ford of Arkaig took place near the village, which saw the Camerons finally end their 328-year feud with the Chattan Confederation led by the Clan Mackintosh.^[1]

Achnacarry Castle

Commando Memorial

Main article: Achnacarry Castle

Built on the ruins of the old Achnacarry Castle in 1802, the current building gained fame as the Commando Training Depot for the Allied Forces from 1942 to 1945. British Commandos, United States Army Rangers and commandos from France, the Netherlands, Norway, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Belgium trained there. As live ammunition was used during training, there were some casualties whilst training at Achnacarry. The castle also suffered some damage due to fire.

Several military associations ^[2] still sponsor a Commando March either annually or from time to time. Generally it is a timed seven mile march, in full battle gear, backpack and combat boots, from Spean Bridge to Achnacarry.

Clan Cameron

The Chiefs of the Clan Cameron have maintained homes at Achnacarry since about 1655. The castle itself is not open to the public but visitors are welcome at the Clan Cameron Museum about a quarter-mile from the castle. The current Chief of Clan Cameron, traditionally known simply as "Lochiel", Donald Cameron of Lochiel, continues to live in Achnacarry.

In August 2001, Achnacarry served as the site of the International Gathering of Clan Cameron, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Colonel Sir Donald Hamish Cameron of Lochiel, K.T., XXVI Chief of Clan Cameron. It also hosted the International Gathering of Clan Cameron in the summer of 2009.^[3]

Achnacarry Agreement

In 1928 Achnacarry served as the meeting place for global petroleum producers in an effort to set production quotas. A document known as the Achnacarry Agreement or "As-Is" Agreement was signed on 17 September 1928.^[4]

See also

• Rutherford House, home of the first Premier of Alberta, Alexander Cameron Rutherford, from 1911 to 1941 which was originally called Achnacarry in honour of his family roots.
• Anglo-American Petroleum Agreement – a 1944 attempt to control petroleum production

Notes and references

1. ^ MacKenzie, Alexander (2008), "The History of the Camerons", The Celtic Magazine (BiblioBazaar) IX (XCVII): 156, ISBN 978-0-559-79382-0, http://books.google.com/?id=MaZSTnaE86sC&pg=PA156  Modern reprint of November 1883 article with a detailed account of Cameron history from 1654 to 1665.
2. ^ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/royalmarines/units-and-deployments/3-commando-brigade/45-commando-royal-marines/news/achnacarry-speed-march-2008 & http://www.combinedops.com/Commando%20March.htm
3. ^ International Gathering of Clan Cameron
4. ^ Bamberg, J.H. (1994), The History of the British Petroleum Company, Volume 2: The Anglo-Iranian Years, 1928–1954, Cambridge University Press, pp. 528–34, http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/energy/achnacarry.htm  The 18 August 1928 draft of the Achnacarry Agreement.

External links

• http://www.clan-cameron.org for detailed information and photographs
  • Clan Cameron Museum
• lochiel.net – official site of the Clan Chief
• http://www.highland-glens.co.uk/commandos/index.htm
• http://www.lochaber.com/achnacarry/index.htm
• http://www.abmp.freeserve.co.uk/
• Combined Operations