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South Uist, Benbecula, Nunton Steading

Farmstead (19th Century), Visitor Centre (Modern)

Site Name South Uist, Benbecula, Nunton Steading

Classification Farmstead (19th Century), Visitor Centre (Modern)

Canmore ID 123357

Site Number NF75SE 25

NGR NF 76508 53694

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/123357

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Western Isles
  • Parish South Uist
  • Former Region Western Isles Islands Area
  • Former District Western Isles
  • Former County Inverness-shire

Recording Your Heritage Online

Nunton House, early 18th century L-plan laird's house, former seat of the Clanranalds, its main range (extended west in 1815) reminiscent of Monkstadt House in Skye. The house has now been divided into three dwellings, the south elevation acquiring a pebbledashed nose, but it retains original panelling and other good fixtures and fittings in its eastern half. The forecourt entrance is flanked by twin dairy and cellar pavilions. The walled garden was described in 1793 as having wild vines, apples, pears, plum trees, gooseberry and currant bushes 'tenderly cultivated and secured from storms'. Nunton Steading, later 18th century; a rare and early example in the Outer Hebrides of a court of 'improved' offices, sympathetically converted for use as offices and local history/environmental centre by Simpson & Brown Architects, 1999, for the Uist Building Preservation Trust. The U-plan court originally faced west (only one wall survives of its eastern range, known as the 'yellow barn'); the western range is 19th century. The original bell, inscribed 'Ranald Macdonald of Clanranald 1776', survives, though it no longer hangs in the bellcote.

Taken from "Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Mary Miers, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

Archaeology Notes

NF75SE 25 76508 53694.

This farmstead has a U-shaped plan and comprises three rubble-built buildings with slate roofs and two enclosures, as depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Hebrides, North & South Uist etc. 1880, sheet xliv). Two roofed buildings are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1972). Two buildings are of two storeys and one is of one storey. Details include a bell cote on the gable of the S-W range. When visited the farmstead had been abandoned and was derelict.

Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 5 May 1997.

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