Fascadale Ice House

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Brief History

Fascadale was the centre of Ardnamurchan's salmon fishing industry, serving as a netting station from the 19th century until as recently as the 1980s. The ice house was a hive of activity, where the boats and fishing equipment were stored. The boats went out from here to collect salmon caught in nets that were fixed to rocks along the coast.

Salmon caught at several fishing stations around the peninsula were brought to Fascadale to be weighed, iced and boxed. Ice was collected here during the winter from the man-made pools and reservoirs, which you can still see today in the fields surrounding the ice house. Once water had frozen in the pools, the ice was drawn by pony and cart to the window at the top of the ice house and dropped inside the building to be stored, with straw between layers of ice to separate it. The freshly caught salmon was packed with the ice to keep it fresh for the journey to markets all over Britain, including Billingsgate Market in London.

Thousands of wild salmon were caught here until the 1990s. Wild salmon have been part of the natural ecosystem for millions of years, but are now in rapid decline primarily due to overfishing, pollution, and climate change.

An early 20th century salmon fishing boat - known as a Coble - was recently returned to her original home of Fascadale. She has now been repainted and sits on display in the front packing shed section of the ice house.

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Fascadale Ice House

© Archaeology Scotland

Men who worked at Fascadale salmon fishery.

Photo courtesy of Mary Khan, with thanks to Ardnamurchan residents.

Photo taken during the 1920s or early 30s. Many of the men who worked at the fishery were seasonal workers.

Ordnance Survey; Argyllshire, Sheet XIV (with inset of Sheet XIII)Survey date: 1872, Publication date: 1876.

Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Patterns in the sand at Fascadale.

© Ardnamurchan History and Heritage Association

Fascadale Ice House

© Archaeology Scotland

Fascadale Ice House

3D model of Fascadale Ice House

© Archaeology Scotland

Fascadale Ice House

© Archaeology Scotland

Men who worked at Fascadale salmon fishery.

Photo courtesy of Mary Khan, with thanks to Ardnamurchan residents.

Photo taken during the 1920s or early 30s. Many of the men who worked at the fishery were seasonal workers.

Ordnance Survey; Argyllshire, Sheet XIV (with inset of Sheet XIII)Survey date: 1872, Publication date: 1876.

Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Patterns in the sand at Fascadale.

© Ardnamurchan History and Heritage Association

Fascadale Ice House

© Archaeology Scotland

Fascadale Ice House

3D model of Fascadale Ice House

© Archaeology Scotland

Pools

Ice was collected here during the winter from the man-made pools and reservoirs, which you can still see today in the fields surrounding the ice house. Once water had frozen in the pools, the ice was drawn by pony and cart to the window at the top of the ice house and dropped inside the building to be stored, with straw between layers of ice to separate it.

The Ice House

Look out for...

The rusting metal hoops and pins in the rocks that once held the fishing nets.

Discover the stories of the ice house...

It would get pretty cold out there, so when we returned to Fascadale with the dayʼs catch, we would warm up by a fire in the shed (where the Coble is now housed).

Explore how Fascadale Ice House has changed through time.

Crofting and Fishing

1960s onwards

Numbers of salmon caught declined until fishing became unviable.

1950s

Ice machine was introduced, powered by a generator.

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A succession of fishing families from outside Ardnamurchan have leased the salmon fishing rights - at great expense! Locals have seasonal work here, helping with fishing and maintenance, but it’s hard and sometimes dangerous work.

We got an ice machine at the fishery in the 1950s, which is powered by a generator as there wasn’t electricity in Fascadale until the 1960s. It certainly saves on manual labour, it was hard work making ice the traditional way!

The salmon hauls certainly seem to be getting smaller and smaller in recent years - I can still remember huge numbers of fish filling up the floor of the boat! It hasn’t been like that for years now, and I don’t think commercial fishing will be economically viable here for much longer. There are many reasons for the decline of wild salmon numbers; industrial overfishing, pollution and the warmer winter being key factors.

The salmon are cleaned to get rid of lice but I always leave some on purpose - buyers can’t deny it’s fresh fish when it arrives with a few lice! It can get pretty cold out there, so when we return to Fascadale with the day’s catch, we warm up by lighting a fire in the packing shed (where the Coble is now housed).

The actual practice of salmon fishing hasn’t changed much over the years. We fix bag nets along the shore, going all the way back to Dorlin. To get the net in position the salmon boat, called a coble, has to work herself right into the rocky shore - a scary business along the exposed shores, particularly out towards the lighthouse. To empty out the salmon into the boat we need to plunge our arms into the nets... but there are often jellyfish in there too, and many painful stings are sustained. One time taking in leaders I got so jellyfished, I felt ill and had to go home to bed. I hear people have started to use synthetic nets, which will make the job a little - but not much - easier.

Eviction and Emigration

First half of 20th century

Huge numbers of salmon were caught from fishing stations across the peninsula.

Fascadale becomes the centre of West Ardnamurchanʼs fishing industry.

The salmon fishery was developed in the first half of the 20th century. Huge numbers of salmon were caught from fishing stations across the peninsula.

Time of the Clans

Fascadale is a small farming settlement at this time.

The land is farmed all along the coast from here to Achateny, but this is the best place to catch the Salmon when the river is in spate - it's a rare treat to have fresh salmon on the table

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