Dalmore: a history Chapter 2 - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Wednesday 14 July, 2010

by Rosemary at 10:29pm in Anything goes Comments closed

We found some old maps in the house that are contributing to our research. The oldest one is from 1865, which we know from the carved stone above the door, is before the existing house was built. In the area where the house now stands, it says “deyhouse�. A quick search indicates that this is an old word for “dairy�. However, I have also found reference to some maps, dated 1826, of “the lands of Buddon, Cowbyres and Deyhouse�, so maybe it was a farm.

On other maps, the two acre field is shown subdivided and called the “sheep fold� with a “sheep wash� alongside. Our land is adjacent to the main Aberdeen to Dundee rail line, shown on the 1865 map as Dundee and Arbroath Railway. The previous owner told us that her late husband's grandfather had bought Dalmore as a sort of staging post for livestock, heading on to the railway for transport to the markets.

The rail halt at Barry opened in 1851 and was renamed Barry Links in 1919.

Barry Buddon Army Training Camp lies on the other side of the railway to Dalmore. The land was sold to the War Office by Lord Panmure in 1897 for use as a military training area, and has served in this role ever since. Prior to this, in the mid-19th century, the Forfarshire Rifle Volunteers, the Panmure Battery of the Forfarshire Artillery Brigade, and a Royal Naval Reserve Battery used the area for some 30 years. Earlier still, it hosted a salmon fishing enterprise, a horse racecourse and a lifeboat station. Further history can be traced back to the 11th century.

The site covers 2,300 acres (930 hectares), with 600 acres (240 hectares) of foreshore and a similar area of sea included in the danger area. Most of the area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and an EU Special Area of Conservation (SAC), as well as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds under the European Birds Directive. As with many similar facilities, the area benefits from the absence of development and intrusion, and many species survive that would otherwise be lost if it were to be developed commercially.

The coast has been subject to significant erosion in recent years, with 150 m being lost in the past 20 years, threatening the site and ranges. In 1993, a major project saw a rock defence wall being installed, the long-term effect of which on the surrounding shore is to be monitored closely.

The area provides a haven for wintering waders such as bar-tailed godwit, sanderling and eider duck whilst the plentiful sea buckthorn berries provide food for fieldfares and redwings. In summer months, abundant skylarks, meadow pipits, linnets and stonechats use the dunes as shelter or nest sites.

So far we haven't made time to explore the area, but we're looking forward to doing so.