The Fendom
Attribution: unknown (Procession in High Street for Diamond Jubilee 1897)
The Fendom
The Fendom is an area of low lying land which lies between the south eastward extension of the raised beach cliff on which the the town sits and the Morrich More. It is crossed by the road from Tain to Inver. As part of area 1 (the low sandy plain) it has light sandy soils which support a number of farms, mainly rearing cattle and sheep. The “Happy Hennery” at Journey’s End on the main road produces eggs for local consumption. Also contained within this area is a disused airfield from WW2. Part of the airfield site is occupied by the Land and Marine oil pipeline engineering buildings which only operate on the occasional contract. Some of the airfield’s wartime buildings provide operational space and accommodation for the service personnel operating the adjacent Bombing Range on the Morrich More. The remaining buildings are rather dilapidated and a bit of an eyesore but provide local farmers with shelter for their animals and storage space for hay.
The Fendom looking East
Attribution: unknown
The main characteristics of the Fendom are exemplified
by the following poem:-
Flat lies the Fendom
Its fences, ditches, railway and roads
Straight lines creating a chessboard of fields,
Cows and sheep the moveable pawns,
And farm buildings at suitable nodes.
At peace is the Fendom,
Bathed in bright Autumn sun,
Its targets and control tower, rare vertical features,
With forested dunes and sparkling waters beyond,
The only sound, an insects low hum.
Still is the Fendom,
No breeze to disturb, even one stem,
As sheep edge forward, intent on their grazing,
Behind the fence with notices proclaiming
“DANGER. KEEP OUT” – a warning to men.
From the sky o’er the Fendom
Two black, evil birds swoop,
Engines roaring, canon blazing with staccato sound.
Three times they come with parabolic plumes trailing,
Before peace reigns on the Fendom again.
High above the Fendom
Two silent birds soar
As buzzard is bombarded by crow
Locked in playful combat, they move ever onward
And still lies the Fendom once more.
Some of the wartime buildings that dot the Fendom (Land and Marine)
Attribution: unknown
Warning signs at the start of the bombing range
Attribution: unknown
An extension of this area stretches to the north west from the golf course getting increasingly narrow until, beyond the Glenmorangie Distillery, there is only room for the railway and when the raised terrace also disappears beyond Meikle Ferry Point, both road and railway are squeezed between the hills and the sea. Below the town this area provides most of the “industrrial” land and the large recreational area of Tain Links. Further north west it provides level land for the bulk of the distillery buildings.
The western part of the Fendom
Attribution: unknown
