Archaeology Notes

Event ID 845497

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/845497

NA92SE 3 9911 2407.

(NA 9911 2407) Tigh nan Cailleachan Dubha (Nunnery) (NR) (site of)

OS 6" map, (1965)

The alleged site of a Dominican nunnery, dismissed by Easson as a fanciful explanation of the Gaelic name, which means 'House of the Old Black Women'. The Ordnance Survey Name Book (ONB) states that a number of chess-men were found here about 70 years ago (ie c. 1780) and that they were sold to a society of Antiquaries in Edinburgh. This is presumably a confusion with the find of chess-men from Uig Bay (NB03SW 5) and a 'cloister for black nuns' (NB03SW 7).

Name Book 1851; D E Easson 1957.

The name applies to the remains of a typical black house structure oriented N to S and measuring 11.2m x 4.6m internally within walls 1.3m thick. There is still a strong local tradition regarding the site.

Visited by OS (R L) 30 June 1969.

An oblique photograph showing the remains of the house and possible nunnery (CEU 1980), has recorded the remains of the blackhouse orientated from N to S, with sheep pens about 20m to the SW. This blackhouse was recorded as roofed on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Rosshire, Island of Lewis 1854, sheet xxix). The sheep pens overlie the footings of further N-S oriented structures which were recorded as unroofed ruins on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Rosshire, Island of Lewis 1854, sheet xxix), but do not appear on the current edition of the OS 1:10,000 map (1973). To the W of these footings are the remains of another slightly shorter possible blackhouse, also recorded as roofed on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map, which overlies more footings. Further similar building footings visible on the aerial photograph are recorded as ruins on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Rosshire, Island of Lewis 1854, sheet xxix), to the N and on the rocky edge of the coast to the NW.

Information from RCAHMS (ALD) 9 June 2004

This chapel site was included in a research project to identify the chapel sites of Lewis and surrounding islands. The Lewis Coastal Chapel-sites survey recorded 37 such sites.

Tigh nan Cailleachan Dubha is well known as a possible ecclesiasticalsite. However ... it is highly unlikely that this is the case. The site is a typical deserted pre-crofting settlement.

R Barrowman 2005 (RCAHMS MS2384)

Detailed topographic survey undertaken of the township, together with Teampall Mhealastadh, a chapel and burial ground to the NW (see NA92SE 1).

R Barrowman and J Hooper 2006 (RCAHMS 2626)