Annishader, Skye

Walkover field survey using hand-held GPS. Dimensioned field-sketches and photographs.

The deserted township of Annishader comprises twenty-three unroofed rubble and turf walled buildings including three kiln barns and two kilns, ten enclosures, two head dykes and multiple field boundaries. All of the buildings are rectangular and most have rounded outer corners and squared internal corners, although occasionally, both inner and outer corners are rounded. The walls have an inner and outer stone facing, with a rubble and earth core, AND most are overgrown with grass.

The buildings are distributed along a 1km stretch of the N facing slopes of Glen Haultin, between 90m and 120m OD. They lie just below the lower head dyke and are concentrated in four discrete groups centred on NG 43720 50920, NG 440 509, NG 44195 50920, NG 44650 50960. A second (higher) head dyke runs parallel to the first, at approximately 160-170m OD, and all of the township’s land from this higher head dyke down to the River Haultin, some 600m to the N, is covered with rig and furrow cultivation and lazy beds of different periods. In addition to the main building groups, there are four outlying buildings at NG 43642 51193, NG 43843 50768, NG 44359 50964 and NG 44349 50967.

The westernmost part of the township’s land is currently used for grazing, but that to the E has been planted with broadleaved seedlings and is very overgrown with grass and heather.

The buildings are described in further detail below and these descriptions are supported by dimensioned sketches and photographs. For clarity, the main groups have been described under the following headings, from W-E: NG 43720 50920 (W Group), NG 440 509 (Main Group), NG 44195 50920 (Group 3), NG 44650 50960 (E Group).

W Group (NG 43720 50920)

The W Group (NG 43720 50920), at 95m OD, is situated on an area of terraced land and comprises two buildings and a large enclosure set into the lower head dyke. The first building (NG 43710 50933)is aligned E-W and measures 17m x 6m externally, with an entrance in its N wall and another entrance in the S wall, opening into an outshot measuring 7m x 5m externally, with an entrance in its W (external) wall. The walls stand up to 1.5m high and 1.5m thick. The second building lies a few metres to the S (NG 43720 50918). It is aligned WSW-ENE and measures 13m x 6m externally, with an entrance in its N wall and an outshot at its NE corner, measuring 7m x 4m. The outshot is almost parallel with the main building but on a slightly different alignment, WNW-ESE. The walls stand to a maximum height of 1.2m, with internal wall facings being mostly visible, while external facings are overgrown with grass and heather. The buildings appear to have been re-worked as sheep pens. A roughly trapezoidal enclosure extends S and E from this building, and is incorporated into the head dyke, which extends to the E and W.

Main Group (NG 440 509)

The Main Group (NG 440 509), at 105m-120m OD, lies 300m E of the W Group. It comprises nine buildings, including one kiln barn and the footings of another kiln, six enclosures, including a probable sheep fold and three garden plots. The group is described below, from E-W.

At the W end of the group are three sub-circular enclosures, with rubble and turf walls, 1m thick, standing to 0.5m high, with embankments up to 1.5m high on their N (down-slope) side. They are aligned approximately N-S and measure 18m x 15m (NG 43979 50970), 21m x 18m (NG 43988 50942), and 16m x 16m (NG 43959 50918. The soil level inside the enclosures is up to 1.5m higher than the surrounding ground and this build up may represent their use as garden plots. Between the two N enclosures lie the footings of a rectangular building (NG 43991 50960), measuring 6m x 3m, and next to this, the partial remains of further footings, which appear to be truncated by the enclosure (NG43979 50970). The footings stand to a maximum height of 0.5m and are overgrown with grass and rushes.

A few metres E of the S enclosure is a rectangular building (NG 43982 50919), aligned SW-NE, measuring 14m x 6m externally, with opposed entrances at the N end of the NW and SE walls. There is an outshot mid-way along the NW wall measuring 6m x 6m externally. The walls stand up to 1.3m high and 1.5m thick. A few metres south is a small building (NG 43977 50909) measuring 6m x 5m externally, with an entrance in the NW corner, and walls standing to a maximum height of 1m. Few of the wall facings are still visible, being mostly overgrown with grass, rushes and heather. Extending SE from this building are the turf and rubble footings of sub oval enclosure, measuring approximately 35m x 13m, incorporated into the lower head dyke.

Approximately twenty metres S of this enclosure is a building (NG 44019 50869) aligned SW-NE, measuring 16m x 7m externally, with an entrance in the N end of its SE wall and a drainage ditch running around its S (up-slope) end. A low wall extends in an arc for 3m from its NE corner, which may have acted as a wind bluff, or may relate to the building’s secondary use as a sheep fold. An outshot on the NW wall measures 8m x 4m externally and has an entrance in its NW corner. The walls of the principal building stand up to 1.5m high, but the outshot only stands to a maximum height of 1m and there are partial footings of an enclosure extending to the NW. Thirty metres S, at NG 44016 50838, is a kiln barn measuring 7m x 4m externally, with walls up to 1m high. The entrance is in the N end of its W wall, and the kiln is at the S end, with a bowl diameter of 0.5m and a single flue. Interior wall facings of both buildings are mostly visible, while exterior facings appear less overgrown than other structures in this group. These buildings lie above the lower head dyke, but below the upper head dyke, and may represent an expansion of the township from its original core.

Forty metres E of the N enclosures are four buildings aligned N-S with the natural slope. The first building, at NG 44039 50961, measures 18m x 5m externally and is sub-divided into two evenly-sized compartments, each with an entrance in the E wall. An outshot extending from its W wall, measures 6.5m x 5m externally, and its N wall is aligned with the internal dividing wall of the principal building. The walls of the principal building stand up to 1.5m high and are 1.5m thick. Those of the outshot are more degraded, only standing to a maximum height of 1m. The group appears to have been re-worked as sheep pens. A few metres N, at NG 44034 50981 are the grass-covered footings of a bow-sided structure measuring 6.5m x 4m externally with walls up to 0.5m high.

Thirty metres further E, at NG 44063 50964, is a building measuring 24m x 6m externally, with a drainage ditch cut around its N (up-slope) end and an enclosure extending from its NE corner to the N and W. This building is sub-divided into two evenly-sized compartments, with an entrance in the E wall of the N compartment and access to the S compartment gained by an opening in the internal dividing wall. The walls stand up to 1.5m high and are 1.5m thick. A few metres SE, at NG 44074 50956, are the earth-fast footings of a possible kiln. A few metres NE, at NG 44082 50956, is a building measuring 10m x 5.5m, with an entrance in its NW corner, and a semi-circular outshot at its N end, with an opening to the E. The walls stand to a maximum height of 1m and there is a drainage ditch around the S (up-slope) end. Interior wall facings are mostly visible, while exterior facings are overgrown with grass and rushes.

Group 3 (NG 44195 50920)

Group 3 (NG 44195 50920) at 110m-115m OD, lies 200m E of the Main Group, across a field boundary, and comprises two conjoined buildings attached to an enclosure, with a smaller building 15m to the S. All of the buildings (NG 44190 50936) are aligned N-S with the natural slope. The principal building measures 21m x 6.5m externally, with an entrance mid-way along its E wall, and two internal divisions in the N end beyond the entrance. The second building, which measures 15m x 4m externally, is attached to the W wall of the principal building and has an entrance in its W (external) wall. Although the buildings are conjoined, they are not inter-connected. The walls stand up to 1m high and 1.5m thick and have been re-worked as a sheep pen. An enclosure extends N and W of these buildings from the NE to the SW corners of the principal building, enclosing a space of approximately 30m x 25m. The third building lies 15m to the S, at NG 44198 50903. It measures 14m x 6m externally, with an entrance in its W wall, and a drainage ditch cut around the S end. Its walls up to 0.8m high. The interior wall facings of these buildings are partly visible while exterior facings are overgrown with grass.

E Group (NG 44650 50960)

The E Group (NG 44650 50960) at 115m-120m OD, lies 400m E of Group 3 and is bounded on its E side by the Lon Bho-Lainn burn as it flows N to join the River Haultin. It comprises six buildings, including a kiln barn, two enclosures and a dyke.

The most westerly building (NG 44594 50954), which is aligned E-W on a terraced platform, survives as grass covered footings measuring 9m x 5m externally, with an internal partition wall 1m from its W end. A dyke runs SW from its W wall and NE from its N wall to meet rectangular enclosure at NG 44616 50980. The enclosure, which is aligned NW-SE, measures 15m x 20m, and has a drainage ditch cut around its N (up-slope) corner.

A few metres to the SE, at NG 44601 50946, is a kiln barn, aligned N-S, measuring 9m x 5.5m externally, with an entrance in the N end of its W wall. The kiln platform is at the S end and measures 2.7m x 1.8m, the bowl measures 0.9m in diameter and there is a single flue. The walls stand to a maximum height of 1m, with an embankment on the N (down-slope) end and a drainage ditch around the S (up-slope) end. There appears to be a wall joining this kiln barn to the adjacent building. The adjacent building, NG 44612 50946, is aligned N-S, and measures 16m x 6m externally, with an embankment on the N (down-slope) end, and a drainage ditch around the S (up-slope) end. There is an entrance in its E wall and an opening in its W wall which leads to an outshot, measuring 9m x 4m externally. Walls survive up to a maximum height of 1m and are 1.5m thick. Some interior wall facings are visible, but otherwise, the walls are overgrown with grass, rushes, heather and bracken.

Twenty metres E of the first enclosure, at NG 44657 50967, is a second rectangular enclosure, measuring 20m x 18m, which also has a drainage ditch around its S side. Twenty metres E of this enclosure are two further buildings, both very overgrown with heather and bracken: NG 44688 50960 and NG 44701 50963. These buildings are aligned N-S and measure approximately 7m x 5m externally; the easternmost building is best preserved and has a partition wall 2m from its S (down-slope) end.

Outlying buildings

At NG 43642 51193 (75m OD), aligned SSW- NNE, are the earth-fast footings of a building measuring 14m x 4.5m. This building lies in the township’s arable land and is positioned close to its W boundary, some distance from the rest of the settlement.

At NG 43843 50768 (110m OD), aligned NW-SE is a building measuring 10m x 5.5m, with an internal dividing wall. There are two entrances: one on the SW wall for the larger up-slope section, and one on the NE wall for the smaller, down-slope section. This building lies above the lower head dyke, 3-400m N of the West and Main groups. The remains of a dyke which extends to its E may be part of the upper head dyke, which becomes more evident further to the E.

At NG 44359 50964 (110m OD), aligned E-W, on a rectangular platform measuring 11m x 5m, are the footings of a kiln barn. Walls are still visible at the E end up to a maximum height of 0.5m and the kiln bowl has an internal diameter of 1.2m. Two metres NW of the platform, at NG 44349 50967 are the footings of a free-standing kiln of similar dimensions, built upon a small circular platform. The platform is up to 1.6m high on the N (down-slope) side and there is a drainage ditch around the SE corner.