South Uist, Usinish

Earth-houses, Usinish. –

[NF83SW 2:]

On the north side of Glen Usinish , on a steep hillside some 100 yards south of the precipitous face of Maoladh na h-Uamha, the south-eastern spur of Hecla, which towers above it, at an elevation of 400 feet above sea-level, and about 3/8 mile from the shore of the Minch, is an earth-house in a much dilapidated condition and partly hidden by bracken. It was described by Captain Thomas in 1867 in Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot., Vol VII., p. 165 ff. (Fig. 164.)

In its present condition the structure appears as a circular building, some 26 feet in diameter internally, with small, oval, domical cells ranged around the inside of the wall and divided from each other by stone walls radiating from the centre of the building. The central portion and the southern half only shows a mass of loose stones, but around the northern arc five cells are traceable, the central cell, and the one next it to the west, being well enough preserved to show the shape and style of construction. The divisional walls terminate some 2 feet 3 inches from the outer wall, leaving a lintelled passage between the cells about 2 feet 3 inches high above the debris on the floor. Three of these communicating passages remain in a good state of preservation, those between the two cells just mentioned and leading from them into those adjoining. The beehive style of building is still clearly indicated in the central cell and its neighbour on the west, which measure 6 feet 9 inches in length by 6 feet 3 inches in breadth, and 6 feet 6 inches in length by 4 feet 9 inches in breadth, respectively, while the best preserved portions of their wall stand 4 feet and 5 feet 6 inches high. The best preserved dividing wall is reduced to a height of 2 feet 4 inches, and it is 1 foot 5 inches broad. How far it extended into the interior cannot be determined. On the floor level of the central chamber a well built opening in the outer wall, 1 foot 9 inches square, gives access to a passage, 2 feet in length, from which a short tunnel strikes off to the east for a distance of 4 feet 8 inches, it s height being 2 feet 3 inches and its breadth 3 feet 3 inches; to the left there is a finely built, lintelled passage, which curves round to the north and east, and terminates in a fine domical cell, 14 feet from the entrance; the floor of the cell is usually covered with several inches of mud and water. The passage varies slightly in size from 2 feet 6 inches high and 3 feet broad, near the entrance, to 2 feet 9 inches high and 2 feet 6 inches broad, at its inner end. The cell is oval, and measures 7 feet 6 inches in height, 6 feet 3 inches in length, and 5 feet 5 inches in breadth. It is roughly built and the sides converge all round till they can be covered with lintels. On the left hand, after entering, is a large lintelled recess 4 feet 3 inches in height, 1 foot 5 inches broad, and about the same in depth. In the main building there are two recesses in the outer wall of the western of the two best preserved central chambers. The largest, which is 2 feet 6 inches from the floor, measures 1 foot 7 inches in height, 1 foot 3 inches in breadth, and 3 feet in depth, while the smaller, which is placed 2 feet to the west, is 1 foot 2 inches square and 2 feet 3 inches deep.

The entrance to the main structure cannot be detected, as the outer wall is simply a ring of tumbled stones, about 2 feet high, overgrown with ferns and heather, but impinging on it s inner face on the south-west there is a broken, circular , beehive shaped cell, 4 feet 6 inches in diameter, the wall of which shows 3 feet of building in t he inside, an d beyond it and further to the south, some 16 feet from the inside of the main wall, there is a short section of what seems to have been a straight wall.

[NF83SW 5:]

There is a considerable number of ruined shielings near the earth-house, some 30 yards to the east-north-east , and rather higher up the hill are the remains of a circular building showing only the inner face of the wall on its northern arc. I t seems to have been some 20 feet in diameter internally, and as the stones used in its construct ion are often large, and the building is good, it is doubtless of much greater age than the shielings which are built inside and around it.

[NF83SW 4:]

At the top of a gully amongst the tumbled stones at the foot of the talus under the cliff, some 30 yards north-west of the earth-house, there are further indeterminate ruins, among which there apparently have been several beehive cells. One of these, about 6 feet in diameter, shows a height of 2 feet 6 inches of good building on one side. From the ruins a built passage carefully lintelled, 2 feet 6 inches in height, 1 foot 4 inches in width at its narrowest part, and 3 feet in length, leads into a chamber, formed under a huge slab fallen from the cliff above, and measuring about 17 feet in length, 7 feet at greatest breadth, and up to 4 feet in thickness. The vacancies under the edge of the slab have been closed by rough building.

RCAHMS 1928, visited 29 June 1915

[NF83SW 4:]

At the top of a gully amongst the tumbled stones at the foot of the talus under the cliff, some 30 yards north-west of the earth-house (NF83SW 2), there are further indeterminate ruins, among which there apparently have been several beehive cells. One of these, about 6 feet in diameter, shows a height of 2 feet 6 inches of good building on one side. From the ruins a built passage carefully lintelled, 2 feet 6 inches in height, 1 foot 4 inches in width at it s narrowest part, and 3 feet in length, leads into a chamber, formed under a huge slab fallen from the cliff above, and measuring about 17 feet in length, 7 feet at greatest breadth, and up to4 feet in thickness. The vacancies under the edge of the slab have been closed by rough building.

Visited by RCAHMS (JGC) 29 June 1915

NF83SW 4 8431 3330.

At the top of a gully amongst the tumbled stones at the foot of the talus under the cliff, some 30 yards NW of the earthouse (NF83SW 2) are further ruins, among which were"several beehive cells " (6' dia, walls remain 2'6" high). A lintelled passage, 2'6" high x 1'4" wide x 3' long, led to a chamber formed by a huge rock slab 17' x 7' x 4' fallen from the cliff and by dry stone walling.

Information from OS (JNH) 4 March 1965

RCAHMS 1928.

The chamber (underground) with lintelled passage described above were located at c.NF 8431 3330. Only two associated features were located: the northermost one, in the west side of which an opening forms the entrance to the souterrain, is D-shaped, measuring 5.5m x 4.0m, with walls which appear to be corbelled; the second feature is an enclosure c.5.0 diameter.

Surveyed at 1:10560.

No other remains were seen amongst the tumbeld boulders which litter the site.

Visited by OS (E G C) 15 May 1965.

This complex group of structures includes a later prehistoric roundhouse, with a passage to a cave akin to nearby souterrains, an adjacent building or enclosure (NF83SW 7), and a later hut. They are situated on the steep south-facing slopes of Maoladh na h-Uamha, among a boulder field, and only 25m upslope and NNW of the wheelhouse at Uamh Iosal (NF83SW 2).

The roundhouse was first noted in 1915 (RCAHMS 1928), partially damaged by a rock fall, is sub-circular in plan measuring about 4m in internal diameter, and set into the slope at the N. The wall is best preserved at the north and east where it survives as a partly corbelled face up to 1.4m in height, and at least 1.3m in thickness. The entrance to the roundhouse may have been to the south. Leading from the interior of this building, there is a passageway 2.2m in length which leads to an irregular naturally formed space between boulders, described here as a cave. This space measures about 7.4m from east to west by about 4.1m transversely and about 1.8m in maximum height above the paved floor.

Immediately south-east of the roundhouse are the remains of an enclosure. It measures 7.8m from east to west by 6.6m transversely over a wall of boulders, 2.2m spread and up to 0.5m in height, some of which are edge set, presenting a flat face to both the inside and outside.

Immediately to the east of the roundhouse, and partly overlying it, are the remains of a roughly circular hut, probably a post-medieval shieling hut that may have originally supported a corbelled ‘beehive’ roof. The hut, set into the slope at the north, measures 1.9m from E to W within a corbelled wall 1.4m in thickness and surviving up to 1.2m in height and at the N.

Given the character of the remains visible nearby, the roundhouse and rock shelter appear to be of later prehistoric date, but the relationship of them to the adjacent enclosure or building is unclear. Although it is almost certainly not earlier, it is not clear whether it is contemporary or later in date. The hut, in contrast, is probably a much later feature.

Visited by RCAHMS (AGCH) and Historic Scotland (CB) 23 April 2013

DGPS survey.