Melness, a Crofting Community on the North Coast of Sutherland"

Dr. James Coull
Scottish Studies, 7, (1963).

Used by Kind Permission of Dr Coull

Nearly all other work is in service occupations. There are four roadmen who maintain the Melness road, and also a part of the main road along the north coast, from Kinloch to Hope; occasionally two or three other crofters get employment on the roads, too. The only other full-time worker is the shopkeeper, and part-time there are two postmen and one maildriver; and for the school there is one janitor, one cleaner, one cook and one driver. Also, there are three teachers, - the minister and a nurse, none of whom are natives of the district.

Although there are forestry plantations in North Sutherland, there is none near enough to be within daily travelling distance, and none of the Melness crofters are employed in it. The district is also unfavourably placed for the tourist trade, being off the main road; to date only two crofters cater for summer visitors, although some caravans are brought to Talmine.

More significant for the district than these home wage earners are those who have gone away to find work. There are about 30 of them, mostly single people, but also some with families. There are only 5 now in the Merchant Marine, the last being scattered throughout Britain and engaged in a variety of work.

The houses of Melness are all crofter-built; most have only single storey although some have two. A very few have roofs of the heavy Caithness slate, but most now have materials brought from further a field - asbestos slate and tarred felt. A water scheme now serves the whole district and all now have electricity. There is also a shop, a church and a little used community hall.

Fuel still consists largely of peat; all those who are physically able cut their annual supply in banks on the Moine, and it is brought to the houses by lorries hired from Tongue. Formerly, there were peats within the Melness district, and although still worked at the north end, they are virtually exhausted. Coal now supplements peat, especially with the older people, despite the freight costs.

Numbers on the school roll show that community decline has not reached a hopeless stage-there are still 30 children at the three-teacher school, although they have to go to Dornoch or Golspie in the south-east of Sutherland for secondary education after reaching the age of twelve.

The story of Melness over the last two centuries shows a common crofting theme: a struggle to adjust to a new order which has had very sparing success, as is shown by the repeated mention of debt, poverty and destitution. 8 At no time in this period has Melness ever attained any real prosperity and it still lacks prosperity-and social equilibrium-to-day.

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