It was once the largest settlement north of Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands until fate dealt the community a bad hand.
Inverlael and neighbouring Balblair were cleared by Mackenzie of Coul in the early 19th Century and all but forgotten even to the local people who are descended from those forced to leave.
Now, thanks to the efforts of the community and Scottish historians including Professor Sir Tom Devine the personal stories of the ‘lost’ Highland townships will finally be told in a highly imaginative new piece for radio.
Research by Ullapool Museum found Inverlael and Balblair were cleared twice.
The first evictions took place in March 1819 when 56 families were forced to leave and the second in early 1820, when another 21 families left the glen.
Their fate remains a mystery, not least because parish records of the population were reportedly destroyed.
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The re-discovery of Balblair has been part of a two-year community project by Ullapool Museum Lost Inverlael: A’lorg Baile Bhlair, which started in 2020 to mark the 200th anniversary of the township at Inverlael being cleared
Local resident Duncan Mackenzie, was heavily involved in the research.
An eight-part radio and podcast docu-drama series, Hidden in Plain Sight, has been written by the award-winning writer and Honorary President of Ullapool Book Festival Chris Dolan, featuring thought-provoking snapshots of life in Balblair, performed by actors including David Hayman.
Produced by Highland-based production company Adventurous Audio Ltd, it weaves together expertise from the University of the Highlands and Islands and historians Professor Sir Tom Devine and Dr Aonghas MacCoinnich.
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Each of the programmes focuses on a different moment in the township’s history and re-imagines some of the key characters in the story of the area.
From the deeply conflicted Minister of Clachan Church to a young girl caught up in a political marriage and George Steuart MacKenzie who ordered the land to be cleared for sheep, Chris Dolan’s imaginative and witty writing brings history to life in a way which is fresh and relevant.
The series also features original music, The Ghosts of Balblair,, written by the popular accordion player Ruaraidh Maclean whose family were cleared from the Glen 203 years ago.
Historical records date Inverlael to at least the 13th Century and until the establishment of Ullapool in 1788 Inverlael was described as ‘the largest settlement north of Dingwall‘.
The area was owned by Munro family for at least three centuries until the mid-17th Century when the MacKenzies of Coul took ownership of the Glen.
The family’s brutal eviction of the old township of Inverlael by Sir George Stuart MacKenzie ruptured a centuries old community.
This painful history is now largely forgotten but one that is hidden in plain sight.
Huddles of stones from the old croft houses are strung out across the hillside, clearly visible from the public road and car park.
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More satellite sites associated with the township lie further up the glen, among the modern planted Inverlael Forest and adjacent to very popular walking routes.
It has always been assumed that residents left for overseas ,with one boat thought to have left Ullapool loaded with tenants, but the destination remains unknown.
A global call was put out by the project for descendants of those evicted from the glen and a connection was made with a farmer in Australia who named the family farm Inverlael.
Helen Avenell, who coordinated Lost Inverlael: A’lorg Baile Bhlair at Ullapool Museum said Hidden in Plain Sight was a “truly wonderful culmination of the project”.
She said: “It beautifully weaves together a kist of stories created from the unique archaeological and archival finds and puts voices to the people we have discovered through this amazing project, breathing life into the history of these lost Highland townships.
“I’m so proud to have been part of this project, working with our local community to literally unearth the lost voices of the glen, preserving and sharing their stories.”
Hidden in Plain Sight will be broadcast on community radio throughout January and will also be available as a podcast on all the usual platforms.
The series was supported by the Audio Content Fund, a UK Government fund to support independent producers.
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