Sutherland longhouse site excavated by archaeologists 20 June 2013 Last updated at 00:17 The site of an early 19th Century longhouse is being excavated in an effort to better understand community life in Sutherland. Hundreds of the homes were abandoned during the Highland Clearances, when families were moved off land to make way for large-scale sheep production. In Sutherland, the thatched roofs of longhouses were set on fire to prevent people from moving back into them. Timespan Museum, in Helmsdale, is leading the excavation at Lower Caen. Archaeologists from various universities, including the University of the Highlands and Islands, are involved. Surviving examples of thatched longhouses include The Corr at Latheron, near Wick in Caithness. A feature of the Clearances in Sutherland was the displacement of about 100 people from the Strath of Kildonan in 1813. Several of the families sailed to Hudson Bay, in north east Canada, where they were forced to build their own shelters to protect themselves against severe winter conditions. The following spring, they set off on foot for the Red River Settlement around Lake Winnipeg in Canada, where Scottish aristocrat, the Earl of Selkirk, had promised them land. Many made the 100 mile (161km) journey on handmade snowshoes.