Bonar Bridge

History

Evidence of pre-historic inhabitance abounds in the area with many ancient hut circles and cairns. One excavation was performed in 2004 by the Time Team UK Television program. It excavated a small henge and a crannog (artificial-island home) in Loch Migdale. In May 1900, a priceless collection of early Bronze Age jewellery known as the Migdale Hoard was discovered by workmen blasting a granite knoll behind Bonar Bridge, near what is known as "Tulloch Hill". Dating from about 2000BC, the artifacts are in the custody of the [http://www.nms.ac.uk/ National Museums Scotland] in Edinburgh. The Migdale Hoard includes a bronze axe head, sets of bronze bangles and anklets, and a series of beautifully carved jet and cannel coal buttons that may well have adorned a Bronze Age jacket, bronze hair ornaments and fragments of an elaborate bronze headdress. There are a number of Pictish Symbol stones in the surrounding area, the closest being at Creich (in field near graveyard), Kincardine Church and Edderton (one at Church, one in field). Sutherland was named so (Sudrland) by the Norse of Orkney as it formed the Southern part of the Norse province of "Cat". Modern Caithness was the "Ness" part, with the third part "Strathnavern" (modern StrathNaver) being the third part (now mostly in modern Sutherland). The Dornoch Firth was the boundary between "Cat" and Ross and was called "Ekkjal" (Oykell) by the Norse and it is mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga. "In the 11th or 12th century a contest of the inhabitants with the Danes is recorded to have occurred at Drin-leah (Drum Leadh), near Bonar Bridge, whence the invaders were driven back with great loss to their ships at Portnacoulter, [Meikle Ferry]. The extraordinary number of tumuli [Cairns] or graves on the scene of [the] action,…

Most-observed species

• Eurasian red squirrel

  Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Mammalia
  537
• Western Capercaillie

  Tetrao urogallus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  506
• Eurasian Oystercatcher

  Haematopus ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  457
• Herring Gull

  Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763 · Aves
  375
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  347
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  345
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  310
• Mew Gull

  Larus canus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  292

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2006-06-08
  35 km ENE of Portree, United Kingdom