Forest archaeology
Report on an unusual archaeological survey of a 19th-century animal pen
At the end of the 19th century, an unusual tourist moved into purpose-built accommodation in Glen Orchy. The visitor was a North American Wapiti or Elk (the name originates from the Native American Cree or Shawnee Wapitik meaning ‘white rump’), and he was far from home. But what was he doing in Argyll?
The last estate rental book for Glen Orchy that survives in the Breadalbane estate papers is from 1868. This indicates only 26 holdings in Glen Orchy, including crofts but excluding three inns, the police station and the Awe fishings. The total rental for the farms and crofts was only about £6,777. The Dalmally shootings alone brought in £450, while the Blackmount Deer Forest shooting brought in £3,800. The latter had been created in 1820 and ran from the Kingahouse Inn in Glencoe to the Bridge of Orchy, an area roughly 20 miles long by twelve miles broad. Even the rental for the Dalmally Inn stood at £293, greater than that of quite a few of the farms or crofts.
By the 1880s, sheep prices were dropping due to the cheap import of refrigerated lamb from Australia and New Zealand, and the continuing fall in woollen prices made many sheep farmers give up and farms being left vacant. The revenue from shooting was starting to outweigh that of farms and crofts. However, the marchioness of Breadalbane, in her account of her shooting days in Argyll The High Tops of Black Mount (1907), noted that in 1893 and 1894 the deer shooting was poor with many ‘skinny’ stags. It was clear that investments had to be made to improve the sport for the paying customer.
The North American Wapiti
In the late 19th century, North American Wapiti were introduced to Scotland in an attempt to increase the body and antler size of hunting trophies of the native red deer and increase the profit to be made from sporting estates.To this end, mating between Wapiti males and red deer females were encouraged, with the males kept in large enclosures or pens.
By the 1880s sheep prices were dropping due to the cheap import of refrigerated lamb from Australia and New Zealand, and the continuing fall in woollen prices made many sheep farmers give up
The Glen Orchy Wapiti Pen (NN 257 351) was likely built between the years of 1870 and 1897. It is roughly sub rectangular on plan and measures some 90m in length by 40m in width. The pen is constructed of a series of iron fence panels, each with seven rails and three posts and measuring 1.8m in width and
2.1m in height. These fence panels are supported to the outside by a series of S-shaped curved posts. The entrance to the pen is closed by a gate. The gate comprises four fence panels similar to the main construction, but with a roller on the top of every second post. These appear to have been supported by a wire suspended between two high posts, enabling the gate to be rolled open and shut.
However, it appears that Wapiti introductions were not very effective in changing the native population. The introductions may have been hindered by a high mortality rate of Wapiti in Scotland, as the species is susceptible to contracting lung worm and foot malformation in the wet Scottish climate. A second factor was the mortality rate of red deer hinds giving birth to the larger Wapitisired fawns.
The Glen Orchy Wapiti Pen is an unusual survival, and a fine example of the archaeology of Scottish sporting estates. It was surveyed by AOC Archaeology on behalf of Forestry and Land Scotland using a Trimble TX5 laser scanner, controlled using spherical targets registered to the Ordnance Survey national grid and visualised using the innovative WapScale.
The Glen Orchy Wapipi pen is a unusual survival, and a fine example of the archaeology of Scottish sporting estates
Matt Ritchie (FLS Archaeologist), Jamie Humble (AOC Archaeology) and Stuart Farrell (independent archaeologist).