So far very little evidence of human activity in pre-historical times (pre-Roman) has been found in Glengarry, apart from the Neolithic stone age axe-head found on the north shore of the loch and Bronze ornaments on Bein Bhreac, a hill between Ben Tee and the loch at the south east end, and a few stone arrow heads.
There is, however, documentary evidence of settlement from medieval times onwards. Townships such as Munerigie and Greenfield appear on Blau's 1654 maps of Scotland. There has, though, been very little archaeological surveying carried out in Glengarry up to now. Who knows what the future will discover?
Apart from the council houses, the salmon hatchery and a few other buildings on the south side of the main road through the village, most of the buildings in Invergarry are 19th century, dating from the period of the Ellice stewardship. They include amongst others, a hospital, church, hotel, gas works and saw mills. Many of the buildings have a date stone over a lintel.
The outbuildings by the hotel are 18th century as is the grain mill near the Invergarry Stores (now closed). The oldest building in the near vicinity is Drynachan dating at least from the 17th century.
Near to, and a little east of the gasworks there is evidence of iron workings of an earlier date.
The build stone foundations laid on the ground surface on a level or near level area. The walls were often a mixture of stone and turf with roofs of turf, thatch or heather. In areas where there was a plentiful supply of good building stone (e.g. Caithness and Sutherland) the walls could be built of stone right up to the wall-head (under the eaves).
The main strength of the roof was in the 'crucks'. these were tree trunks, sometimes in a single piece shaped somewhat like a whale jaw-bone, but more often they would be in two sections. One section was set upright, in or against a wall, on a stone based plate. This supported the other piece angled upwards to meet its opposite number the 'roof tree' (or ridge pole).
Purlins (often Birch trees) were laid across the crucks to take the roofing materials. The ends of the houses were not gable-ended but either 'hipped' (roof sloping almost to the ground) or had rounded corners, continuing the wall-head at the same height all round.
The use of crucks continued into the 19th century. The barn at Greenfield even today has crucks in situ and cruck slots can be seen in the ruinous out-building and house at Daingean. Although this house had substantial stone walls, gables and chimney with fireplace, it is possible that the crucks were part of an earlier building on the same site.
The dwellings were generally positioned facing southeast, whilst other buildings (e.g.
barns and byres) were built on a north-south axis.
The houses were usually divided into
two chambers, one for people, the other for animals. The larger room for the people would
have a central hearth of stone slabs with a cooking pot suspended over it on a chain and a
hole in the roof for the smoke. The partition between the two chambers might be of stone and
turf or wattle and clay. The main chamber also could be subdivided by wattle divisions.
The higher status house might have been furnished with box beds, stools and/or benches, small unglazed but shuttered windows and ceramic utensils, whereas the lower status homes may have had only stone and turf benches and sleeping platforms and wooden utensils.
Many settlement sites would have been enclosed within a 'head dyke'(wall) the purpose of which was to keep the cattle out in the summer months when they had been put out the outlying grazings at the shielings. Within the site area would have been a corn kiln or kiln barn and round or rectilinear enclosures for animals and/or kail (a kind of cabbage).
The kiln was a round, fairly deep stone-lined structure - somewhat like a well but wider - with a vent at the bottom. Stout timbers would be set across the kiln a little way above the vent on which the corn sheaves would be laid. A heat source was provided by a fire set outside the vent to draw heat and smoke into and through the kiln. The kiln was often, but not always, set into a bank. Adjacent to the kiln was built a barn with an entrance not in line with the vent and sometimes extending over the kiln. (Examples of such ruins can be seen at Daingean and Greenfield).
Corn mills were often to be found close to water sources (burns or rivers). Depending on the local topography the mill wheels could be over-shot, under-shot or rotated horizontally. (A mill lade is clearly visible at Greenfield).
The arable ground was often worked on the 'rig and furrow' method. these were wide strips (3-4m) of soil separated by furrows for drainage. Other methods were 'run-rig' (long narrow strips of soil) and 'lazy beds' (somewhat like present day horticultural raised beds). There is a good example of 'rig and furrow' at Daingean
Reconstructed Highland turf buildings, dykes and kiln-barn can be seen at the Highland Folk Park, Newtonmore.
Aberchalder, Cullochy, Leek and Invergair to the east along the Oich river (Abertaff district)
Invergarry, Drynachan, Lundie, Munerigie, Faichem, Achadhluachraich, Daingean, Ardochy, Ardnabie, Inchlaggan and Tomdoun along the north side of the Glen (Sleismenain district).
Mandally, Glen Luie, Boline, Laddie, Greenfield, Garrygualach and Badenjoig on the South side of the Glen (Sleisgarbh district).
Some of these sites are still farmed or occupied to some degree but the remainder of the sites named were abandoned altogether, although some are more visible and accessible than others.
The village of Invergarry was completely rebuilt in stone and slate by the Ellices when they acquired the estate in the 19th century.