Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township, field-system, rig, lazy-beds, dun and shepherd's bothy, taken from the NE.

Description Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township, field-system, rig, lazy-beds, dun and shepherd's bothy, taken from the NE.

Date 10/4/2003

Collection RCAHMS Aerial Photography

Catalogue Number E 35321 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 797070, SC 1699460

Scope and Content Upper Grulin, Eigg, from the north-east, Small Isles, Highland The island of Eigg is one of the Small Isles along with Canna, Rum and Muck. It lies 16km off the west coast of Scotland and has been inhabited since at least the Neolithic (c.4000-2500 BC). Later inhabitants have left traces of Bronze Age hut circles, Iron Age forts, early medieval square burial cairns, Early Christian crosses, Viking boat stems and the 19th-century townships. The island was bought in 1997 by its residents in conjunction with the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Highland Council. This aerial view shows the abandoned crofting township which was cleared to make way for sheep pasture. The outlines of various stone and turf-cored buildings can be seen scattered across the landscape, and mostly date from the 18th and 19th centuries. An Iron Age dun (fortified homestead) can be seen on the rocky knoll (top right), evidence of much earlier occupation of the site. Upper and Lower Grulin were cleared of their crofting communities in 1853 by the landlord of Laig Farm, Stephen Stewart, who wanted to use the whole area for grazing sheep. Lower Grulin consisted of 14 farms at this time and only one family was relocated to Cleadale on Eigg, the rest emigrated to Nova Scotia. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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