Archaeology Notes

Event ID 647905

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/647905

NB03NW 3 0393 3789

See also NB03NW 1, NB03NW 2 and NB 03NW 5.

(Area: NB 039 378) Two nearly circular settings of stones 4' apart and measuring 3' and 2 1/2' in diameter respectively lie some 46 yards east of the church (NB03NW 1) and in line with its north wall.

RCAHMS 1928, visited 1914.

Two settings of stones at NB 0393 3789, of indeterminate age and purpose, as described by RCAHMS. They occur on low ground at the base of outcrop rock and are probably modern.

Visited by OS (R L), 1 July 1969.

NB 0386 3791 Monastic settlement, Tigh a'Bheannaich. A fieldwalking and mapping exercise was executed around the chapel of Tigh a'Bheannaich (House of the Blessed) (NMRS NB03NW 1, NB03NW 2, NB03NW 3, NB03NW 5 ) located to the W of the township of Aird Uig. The stone-built chapel is enclosed on a broad promontory by a large wall that runs from the southern cliffs to an inland loch and from there to the northern sea cliffs. This wall survives as well-built drystone coursing up to 2m in height at its S end, but continues N of the loch as a mainly earth bank with small stones and turf.

Surrounding the chapel are 10-12 cellular structures with diameters ranging from 2-3m. Many of these structures are located amongst bare rock on W-facing sea cliffs and have suffered extensive erosion. To the N of the chapel are six cairns of varying sizes (2-4m in diameter). Two of these cairns are kerbed and may be prehistoric.

Sponsors: Historic Scotland, University of Edinburgh, Dept of Archaeology.

C Burgess, M Church and S Gilmour 1998.