Field Visit
Date 28 May 1914
Event ID 1105087
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1105087
Earth-house, Tigh Talamhain, Glen Sneosdal.
About 5¼ miles north-north-east of Uig, 1¼ miles east by south of Kilmuir Manse, and ¼ mile east of the deserted farm of Lachasay, at an elevation of barely 300 feet above sea-level, on the slight rise above the flat on the right bank of Abhuinn Sneosdal, and some 25 yards distant from the stream, is an earth-house known as Tigh Talamhain.
The structure was discovered and partly destroyed many years ago when part of the entrance passage was removed and a hole was made in the roof. It consists of a chamber of drystone building converging inwardly towards the roof so as to form a beehive shaped chamber, measuring 5½ feet in diameter 3 feet from the apex, which is entered through a walled and lintelled passage running almost due east. Of the passage a length of 9 feet 10 inches still remains. The outer part of the passage, which has been removed, is indicated by a hollow in the ground, traceable outwards for some 24 feet, but, as the level of the underside of the outer lintel runs out on to the surface of the slope some 12 feet 6 inches from the existing building, the passage was perhaps a little more than 22 feet in length when complete. It measures 2 feet 8 inches in width where it enters the chamber, and about 3 feet nearer the orifice. There has probably been a slight rise inwardly in the floor of the tunnel as there is a rise of 2 feet on the tops of the existing lintels. About 5 feet from the inner end one of the lintels is placed 6 inches lower than the others, perhaps forming a check for a door. On the left side of the passage is a recess-like cavity with a lintel above. The top of the outer lintel of the passage as it now exists is 5 feet 6 inches above the bank of the stream.
One of the cover stones of the circular chamber, which must have had a very slight covering of soil, has been removed and gives access to the house, and as the whole structure is partly filled with soil the heights of the different parts cannot be at present ascertained.
Immediately to the north of what was the apparent entrance to the earth-house are slight indications of a hut circle, oval in shape, measuring13 feet in length by IO feet in breadth, with the entrance towards the underground building.
RCAHMS 1928, visited 28 May 1914.
OS map: Skye iv (unnoted).
