Skye, Storr Lochs Dam

Measured sketch.

This farmstead lies at 150m OD on a cliff-top terrace, c500m S of Storr Lochs Power Station (NG55SW 14.01). It comprises the poorly preserved remains of five turf structures, one of which appears to have been a dwelling house, and a length of turf bank which may have formed part of an enclosure around the structures. The site lies in moorland grazing and birch trees are growing along the cliff edge.

The structures are described below from S - N and these descriptions should be read in conjunction with the site plan attached to this site record.

1 (NG 51750 52215) A rectangular building, possibly a byre dwelling, aligned E-W, measuring 3.5m x 9.5m, with out-shots at its W end and on its S side. The W outshot measures 2.5m x 2.5m and the S outshot, 2.5m x 1m. The walls stand up to 0.5m high.

2 (NG 51745 52225) A circular structure measuring 3m in diameter, with a rectangular out-shot to the W, measuring 3m x 1m. The walls stand up to 0.2m high. This may have been a kiln barn.

3 (NG 51747 52234) A rectangular earthen mound, or building platform, aligned E-W, measuring 10m x 4m. The mound stands up to 1m high.

4 (NG 51736 52258) The fragmentary remains of a rectangular earthen structure, aligned NE-SW.

5 (NG 51736 52277) A circular pit, c3.5m in diameter, with walls standing up to 0.5m high. This may have been a kiln.

The turf bank runs in a N-S direction for c70m and stands up to 0.6m high.

This site is not shown on the 1st Edition OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Island of Skye 1878, sheet xviii) and it seem likely from the state of the remains that it is considerably earlier than this.

Information from SRP Storr Lochs, April 2011.