Strathbeg / Strathbeag / Strabeg (various spellings crop up) is in Durness parish and runs inland from the head of Loch Eriboll. The house known as Strabeg is now maintained as an open bothy by the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA), who maintain about 100 bothies (mostly in Scotland but also a few in England and Wales) with the permission of the owners.
Those who lived at Strathbeg were mainly shepherds. Robert Barton, area organiser, Northern Highlands, MBA, has personally taken an interest in the people who lived there.
He writes: "My interest in the place is that I look after the building on behalf of the MBA. As far as I can tell it was built in 1894 but there is an older (but still post clearance) ruin nearby with another at Poll Leamhain (Polleven) nearby, presumably all built to house shepherds. The bothy is on the Loch Erribol estate. I read somewhere (can’t remember where) that the people from the Strath were cleared to Laide on the shore of Loch Erribol which looks a particularly infertile place".
Robert's document on the residents is of huge interest to all who are researching their family history in this area. Our own Peter Aikman, who willingly helps this organisation, has added very useful family information to the document. You may download a copy if you wish.
I have added a Google Map of the Loch Eriboll area on the right. South of the Loch you see Pollan. Strathbeg is further down the track from there. I have marked the spot.
Huge thanks to Robert and Peter for sharing this interesting information with us.
updated 28/2/2016
