Tarbat Ness facts for kids
Tarbat Ness is a cool headland in Scotland. It's at the very end of the Tarbat peninsula in a place called Easter Ross. The name "Tarbat" comes from an old Scottish word meaning "narrow piece of land." "Ness" comes from an old Norse word for "headland." It sits right at the southern entrance to the Dornoch Firth.
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How Tarbat Ness Was Formed
The rocks at Tarbat Ness are very old. They are from the Devonian period. You can even find fish fossils in them! The rocks here are made of a type of sandstone.
The wind and sea have shaped these rocks over time. You can see cool patterns like pits and honeycomb shapes. This shows how different parts of the rock wear away at different speeds.
The headland itself is quite high. It reaches about 17 meters (56 feet) above the sea in some spots. There are also "raised beaches" here. These are old beaches that are now higher than the current sea level. They show us how the sea level has changed since the last Ice Age.
A Look at Tarbat Ness History
Stories from the past tell us about Tarbat Ness. The Orkneyinga Saga, an old Norse story, says that Torf-Einarr was the first to dig peat here. Peat is a type of fuel made from decayed plants. The story says he did this because there wasn't much wood for fires. This is how he supposedly got his nickname, "Torf," which means "peat."
Battles and Conflicts
A big battle happened at Tarbat Ness in the 11th century. A powerful Viking leader named Thorfinn the Mighty won against someone called "Karl Hundason." Some people think Karl Hundason might have been Macbeth, a famous Scottish king.
Further down the peninsula, near the village of Portmahomack, another sad event took place. In the 1480s, the Clan Ross fought the Clan Mackay. The Clan Ross trapped the Clan Mackay members inside the Tarbat Old Church. Then, they set the church on fire. This terrible event is known as the Battle of Tarbat.
A Plane Crash in 1941
During World War II, on October 14, 1941, a British flying boat crashed near Tarbat Ness. It was a Saro Lerwick plane. The plane's engine stopped working. It couldn't stay in the air with only one engine. Sadly, six of the nine crew members died. Three people were rescued alive.
Tarbat Ness Today
Today, the Tarbat Ness Lighthouse stands proudly at the northern tip of the peninsula. It was built in 1830 by Robert Stevenson. He was a famous lighthouse builder. The light is 53 meters (174 feet) above sea level. There are 203 steps to climb to the top of the tower!
You can also find the restored Ballone Castle nearby. It's at the southeastern end of the peninsula. This old castle is north of the village of Rockfield.
