ARCHIVE OF A SCOTTISH FARM, Achareidh, Nairn, 1830-1899. An extensive and important archive of daily events on a Scottish farm over the last seventy years of the 19th century. Achareidh is near Nairn, a fishing port and market town on the Moray Firth. It is 17 miles east of Inverness. Brodie, Rait and Cawdor castles are nearby. The farm was owned by the Clarke family for several generations. The archive comprises 34 hand written journals of various sizes and 4 albums of photographs:

A daily weather journal from January 1st 1830 to December 31st 1899, recorded in 10 journals (lacking book for 1886-90). General weather conditions are given, and from the 1860s barometer and thermometer readings are recorded twice a day;

Eight account books, 1837 to 1887, recording every item of daily expenditure. Amongst the many thousands of entries, those for 1883 include entrance to the Highland Society Show (3/-) catalogue (1/-) train to Inverness (3/4) cab hire (4/-) two papier mache trays (4/-) offertory at Nairn Parish Church (1/-) and 34 and a quarter gallons of whisky (£6 11s 3d);

Two folio books of plans of the fields showing crop rotation, 1839-57 and 1858-74;

Manure record 1858-86;

Farmer's Diary 1840-85 and another diary 1888;

Letters 1830-85, four volumes recording the date, to whom letter was sent and very brief details. The first two volumes have the bookplate of Augustus Terry Clarke;

Account book with the National Bank at Nairn 1862-85;

Account book with the British Linen Company's bank at Nairn 1862-74; Account book 1840-86, mainly dividends on stocks and shares;

Eggs laid 1859-85;

Memoranda of sheep 1865-86;

Displenish sale at Achareidh, 24 October 1886;

Nairn chapel accounts from 1843-80. According to a loosely inserted letter, the chapel was sold off in 1901;

A large album of local views c 1890;

Another large album of mainly local views c 1890, including several photos of turf huts;

An album of snapshot of Africa 1909-10;

An album of newspaper cuttings on the Boer War, 1899, including the sieges of Ladysmith and Mafeking (38) (2 boxes)