Description

The monument comprises the remains of a campsite, constructed by soldiers of the Ordnance Survey in the earlier part of the 19th century while conducting the first triangulation of Scotland. It also includes the remains, on the nearby summit, of the original survey cairn, as well as later survey points.

The campsite lies on the E flank of Meall nan Con, the highest summit of the Ben Klibreck ridge. It consists of several foundations, aligned along the hillside, just below the crest of the ridge, not far from the summit itself. The most substantial, and the furthest from the summit, is a small rectangular drystone building, standing to gable height at the N end. This structure has a small fireplace and chimney void in the NE end, and a doorway in the S end of the SE wall. Along the SE wall, overlooking the downhill slope, is a broad platform of large slabs. By analogy with similar camps elsewhere, this building would have been the cookhouse and duty room of the camp.

At the same level as this structure, and between it and the foot of the summit slope, there are several sub-circular scooped platforms in the hillside, three of them revetted with large stone slabs on the downhill side. At least two smaller, non-revetted platforms also survive. These platforms would have been the bases for the stout canvas bell-tents used as accommodation by the survey party. On the very summit of the hill, to the SW of the camp, a large circular enclosure of drystone construction overlies the remains of the original survey cairn (and is no doubt constructed from it). Within this enclosure are contained the modern (1960s?) triangulation pillar and its broken (1930s?) predecessor.

Such camps are often known as Colby Camps, named after the officer commanding the Ordnance Survey at the time. The nature of the instruments of the period, the need for very precise measurements and the exigencies of Scottish mountain weather frequently necessitated lengthy stays at high altitude (in one extreme case, three months) to complete the measurements required. This survey programme laid the backbone of the mapping system that served Britain until recent advances in satellite and electronic distance measurement.

The area to be scheduled is in two parts. A circular area, 20 in diameter, includes the stone shelter, the underlying remains of the original survey cairn and the two triangulation pillars. An approximately rectangular area, up to 100m NE-SW by 50m NW-SE, includes the stone building and the various tent platforms, as well as an area around them in which evidence relating to their construction and occupation is likely to survive. These areas are marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as one of the key sites of the early 19th-century primary triangulation of Great Britain. As such, it has great significance in the history of scientific cartography, in which Britain was probably the world leader at that date. Only a few camps survive to this standard of preservation. Its existence serves as a reminder of the intensity of manual effort once required to conduct survey measurements which are now almost effortless and routine.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NC52NE 1, Ben Klibreck, Colby Camp.

References:

Dict Nat Biog, Vol. 4, 711-5.

Fojut N 1997, 'A DEGREE OF COOLNESS', New Shetlander 200 (summary account of Colby's career).

Portlock J E 1869, MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF GENERAL COLBY, London.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland