Cleared in 1848 by Neill Malcolm of Poltalloch; the eviction was met with sustained, women-led resistance (Catherine Campbell and others armed with pitchforks), escalating to a riot, arrests and jailing at Inveraray — a genuine, under-told 'crofting resistance' story from Argyll, distinct in character from the Skye/Sutherland resistance narratives.
Why this place matters
Cleared in 1848 by Neill Malcolm of Poltalloch; the eviction was met with sustained, women-led resistance (Catherine Campbell and others armed with pitchforks), escalating to a riot, arrests and jailing at Inveraray — a genuine, under-told 'crofting resistance' story from Argyll, distinct in character from the Skye/Sutherland resistance narratives.
The story on the ground
CATEGORY: Surviving cleared settlement + crofting resistance (a genuinely under-told, women-led resistance story the brief specifically asks for). Cleared in 1848 by Neill Malcolm of Poltalloch to make way for a large-scale sheep run; the eviction attempt was met with sustained resistance — widow Catherine Campbell led women armed with pitchforks against the sheriff's officers, escalating to a riot when ten policemen and then sixty local defenders became involved; Campbell and four men were jailed at Inveraray, followed by 200 supporters. Notably, none of the Arichonan people accepted the landlord's offer of assisted passage to Australia; some later emigrated independently to Canada. An academic source exists (University of Essex repository, a scholarly collection on 'The Clearance at Arichonan 1848'). Managed today by Forestry and Land Scotland as a signed heritage site with a maintained (if rough) waymarked trail — genuinely unstaffed with no visitor facilities, so 'Wild historic site' badge applies despite the marked path.
What the evidence supports
Well-documented via Forestry and Land Scotland's own heritage-site guide and an academic collection (University of Essex repository); treat specific numbers (e.g. '60 people') as drawn from popular-history retellings of the original record rather than a primary count.
Before you go
- Drive to the Forestry and Land Scotland car park at Gleann a’ Ghealbhain. The yellow-waymarked Arichonan Township Trail begins across the B8025; there is no public transport to the start.
- Not required
- Open year-round in daylight. Official route: 2.1 km / 1¼ miles, allow about 1 hour. Uneven and potentially muddy after rain.
- Gleann a’ Ghealbhain Forestry and Land Scotland car park — Plus Code 3C6H+4R, Lochgilphead, United Kingdom
- The official 2.1 km waymarked trail starts across the road from the car park—take care crossing. Forestry and Land Scotland grades it strenuous: uneven grassy path, narrow or muddy sections, exposed roots and one long fairly steep slope. Allow about 1 hour. Suitable for active families with children supervised; keep dogs under effective control, especially near livestock. No facilities at the ruins.