Field Visit
Date 23 April 2002
Event ID 1019174
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1019174
A farmstead straddles the Allt na h-Airde Mheadhonaich at Struidh, comprising four buildings, four huts, at least eight mounds within or near a field system of two enclosures.
The largest building (977) is rectangular (with rounded external corners). It measures 7.4m from N to S by 3.3m transversely within a battered rubble wall 0.9m in thickness and 1.3m in height. There is an entrance in the E side wall, and a later pen has been constructed in the SE corner. About 20m NNE there is a second similar building (988) at the junction of three dykes. This measures 5.2m from ENE to WSW by 2.6m transversely within a rubble wall 0.7m in thickness and 1.4m in height. There are at least two entrances, one in either side wall, and three later pens have been constructed in the interior. A third slightly smaller building stands 36m S of the first, and is built into the corner of an enclosure. The fourth building is 85m NNE of the first but has been reduced to footings only 0.2m in height.
Four huts which perhaps represent shieling activity, are situated to the N of the buildings, two within an enclosure (989, 990), and two to its W (987, 1141). The largest (990) measures 4.6m from ENE to WSW by 2.6m transversely within a stony bank spread to 1.2m in thickness and 0.2m in height. Five oval or circular mounds (probably deflated huts) are situated just 10m SE of the first building (972-6). The largest (972) is 6.5m in diameter and 0.4m in height. Another three or four mounds are in a group 85m NE of the first building (991).
While an enclosure around the largest building (977) shows little sign of cultivation, a larger enclosure to the N contains lazy bedding (feannagan) aligned from NE to SW and four clearance cairns. Two further enclosed plots of lazy bedding occur 180m N and 60m S of that building.
William Bald’s 1806 map of Eigg depicts a single enclosure at this location and two unroofed buildings (977-8) appear on the 1st edition of the OS 6 inch map (Inverness-shire (Skye) Sheet LXXI, 1879).
EIGG01 972-7, 987-92, 1141
Visited by RCAHMS (SDB) 23 April 2002
