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Eigg, Cnoc Smeordail

Dyke(S) (Post Medieval), Enclosure(S) (Prehistoric), Enclosure(S) (Post Medieval), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric), Pen (Post Medieval), Shieling Hut(S) (Post Medieval)

Site Name Eigg, Cnoc Smeordail

Classification Dyke(S) (Post Medieval), Enclosure(S) (Prehistoric), Enclosure(S) (Post Medieval), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric), Pen (Post Medieval), Shieling Hut(S) (Post Medieval)

Canmore ID 236660

Site Number NM48NE 55

NGR NM 48251 87671

NGR Description Centred NM 48251 87671

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/236660

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

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Small Isles
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Lochaber
  • Former County Inverness-shire

Archaeology Notes

NM48NE 55 entered 48251 87671

Scheduled as Cnoc Smeordail, hut circles and enclosures.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 23 February 2004.

Activities

Field Visit (11 June 2001)

This group of three hut circles and two related enclosures, as well as a series of later structures that include seven huts, two pens, two enclosures and several lengths of dyke that relate to shieling activity, are situated in a sheltered gully between Cnoc Smeordail to the SW and the flank of An Cruchan to the NE. They are spread over an area measuring about 200m from NE to SW by 70m transversely at a height of about 200m OD.

At the NW of the group a hut circle (NM 48182 87732) occupies a knoll. Oval on plan it measures 7.8m from ENE to WSW by 7.1m transversely within a rubble wall 1m thick and 0.5m high with surviving inner and outer facing stones. No entrance is apparent. The hut circle appears to overlie the remains of an oval enclosure measuring about 13m from NW to SE by 10m transversely. Two later huts have been constructed within the interior of the hut circle, and a third against its SE side. There is a length of dyke about 12m N of the hut circle aligned from E to W.

About 20m to the SE there is a second hut circle (NM 48202 87710). It is circular on plan and measures 4.3m in diameter within a rubble wall 1.3m thick and 0.5m high. The entrance faces SE and is flanked by large boulders. It opens into an irregular enclosure measuring about 14m from NW to SE by 12m transversly, within which there are two later huts, one of which is set against the E side of the hut circle. A further 20m to the SE of this hut circle there is a much smaller enclosure measuring 2.8m in internal diameter.

The third hut circle (388) is situated 57m SE of the second (NM 48252 87671). It is circular on plan and measures 4.6m in diameter within a faced rubble wall 1.2m thick and 0.6m high. The entrance faces ESE and is marked by two larger stones on the N side. About 40m W there is a shieling hut with two compartments.

At the SE of the group there is another hut (772), a small enclosure (526) and two pens (524-5). These features are linked by two lengths of dyke, one running from NW to SE and another that curving from NE to SW, that are presumably related to stock management.

EIGG01 387-94, 524-6, 701-2, 772

Visited by RCAHMS (SDB) 11 June 2001

Measured Survey (2 September 2001)

RCAHMS surveyed the hut circles at Cnoc Smeordail on 2 September 2001 with plane-table and self-reducing alidade at a scale of 1:500. The plan was redrawn in ink and later used as the basis of an illustration that was published in 2016 at a scale of 1:1250 (Hunter, fig. 3.7).

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