Torridon, Braigh An Eireannaich

NG86SW 1 centred 837 602

(Centred NG 837 601) Braigh an Eireannaich (NAT).

OS 6" map, Ross-shire, 2nd ed., (1905)

'Braigh an Eireannaich' is the name applied to a portion of rough pasture together with the ruins of dwellings, situated at the south western extremity of An Reidh-choise.

Name Book 1875.

In a sheltered moorland valley between 850 ft and 1,000 ft OD., in the area round the confluence of Amhainn Alligin and a small burn, are the remains of 41 roughly-built dry-stone sheilings known as Briagh an Eireannaich, a name still known locally. The shielings, situated close to running water in rough pasture, are oval and circular. The average dimensions of the former are 4.5m x 3.2m, and they vary in height from grass-covered footings to 1.4m, whereas the latter measure 2.5m average diameter and vary from grass-covered footings to 0.7m high. In both cases, the walls are approx. 0.7m thick, and the entrance, where visible, is from 0.4m to 0.7m wide, generally facing the stream. A modern sheep fank has been constructed NE of the shielings, which were last used about 80 years ago.

Visited by OS (N K B) 7 April 1965.

Five unroofed shieling-huts and an unroofed structure, which may be the fank identified by the OS, are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross-shire 1881, sheet lxxxi).

Thirty-two shieling-huts, marked as either dots or open circles, the unroofed structure and two unroofed buildings are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10560 map (1969).

Information from RCAHMS (SAH), 24 April 1996.