Mull, Cnoc Nam Piob

Research into the history of the area continued from the time of the first visit. SIte plans were created from aerial photos.

Early visits to the site. Some photographs taken.

Survey of Cnoc nam Piob farmstead and shielings. Measured survey of fank. Photographs taken

Cnoc nam Piob

Alternative name Beinn an Aoinidh

The hill of Beinn an Aoinidh on the S coast of Brolas, at the top of the cliffs immediately above Carsaig Arches, has given its name to the wide valley to the NW and was sold or rented under that name.

The farm was bounded to the N and E by Gleann Alasgaig from the point where the river turns E and flows in that direction to the cliff edge. To the W the march cuts across from Gleann Alasgaig to the lowest slope of Dunan a Mharcaiche, turning E again to meet the Allt an Easa Criarachain, and thence to the cliff edge at Eas Criarachain. Within this area are the hills of Cnocan Buidhe and Beinn an Aoinidh itself.

This wide valley has an extensive area of boggy land lying below the two hills, where peat has been cut over the years. The remains of two farming settlements are located at the western edge, where the land begins to rise (BAA5) and about a km ENE in the lea of Cnoc nam Pìob (BAA1-3). There is a separate entry for BAA5 – Airigh Mhic Cribhain.

The ownership of Beinn an’ Aoinidh has not always been clear. We know that before 1731, the hill and pertinences of Benninch (or Benininick / Beninick / Benwick / Bennwick) was a pendicle of Pennyghael, which lands were owned by Alexander McGilvray of Pennyghael. The Dorret map of 1750 shows ‘Beineninie where there is appearance of coal’, and it was this fact that led to its sale to Sir Alexander Murray in the 1730s. Unfortunately, the original sale document was unclear and the precise area of sale was not legally described. This led to an argument when Sir Alexander Murray sold on to Sir James Riddell of Ardnamurchan – who was also interested in the coal – and who claimed that Inchmore and Inchbeg also belonged to the area.

In 1795, the First Statistical Account describes “… a [coal] seam about 3 feet thick in a hill called Bein – an - Ini.” It records how both Murray and Riddell began to work the coal, but gave up, though the quality of the coal was said to be good. No further work was undertaken, although within living memory, local people from the Pennyghael area would collect pieces of coal washed down the Allt a’ Ghuail (coal burn). The burn flows in a N Westerly direction from Beinn an Aoinidh, and becomes a tributary of Allt an Easa Criarachain.

By the nineteenth century Beinn an Aoinidh was being rented and farmed as a sheep walk with the farm of Beach, which was itself part of the estate of Kilpatrick. This remained the position until 1937, when the farm of Beach was sold separately. Beinn an Aoinidh is no longer mentioned in the Valuation Rolls. It is at present part of Pennyghael Estate.

The area shows several phases of occupation, probably dating back many centuries. To the N of the valley, in the lee of Cnoc nam Pìob, is what may be the earliest settlement site of the area, a series of hut platforms or shieling hut mounds at the eastern end (BAA1). Several isolated mounds have been found further out into the areas of poorer grass (BAA2), perhaps suggesting that lack of drainage in these areas has led to deterioration of the land over the centuries.

Adjacent to the mounds near Cnoc na Pìob is an area of cultivation rig and the remnants of what was probably a small farmstead (BAA3). It is possible that the outlines of buildings at the NW corner of the sheep fank are associated with this era.

The latest addition is a sheepfank of nineteenth century construction (BAA4), which may have overlaid some earlier buildings. The almost total lack of stone visible at the sites of former construction leads to the belief that the area was thoroughly robbed out when the new fank was built and the shielings and arable land were no longer in use.

This eastern area is approached nowadays by a forestry track from the N side of the promontory of Ross and Brolas, turning off the main A849 at Torrans and then by means of rides through forestry plantations.

There may also be a shieling site at the extreme SE of this area, where Gleann Alasgaig reaches the coastal cliffs at waterfalls above Rubh a’ Chromain. This is a march between traditional grazing lands of Beinn an Aoinidh and both Torranbeg and Carsaig and there are several sites here overlooking the marches. This area has yet to be surveyed.

BAA1 Cnoc nam Pìob – Shieling / settlement / hut site NM 4842 2057

This site lies to the W of a dyke (BAA3e) dividing it from the area of rig. 24 building platforms or hut mounds have been identified in this area, most of which are roughly circular, ranging from 3m to 6m in diameter. A few are sub - rectangular, the largest being c. 8m x 5.5m. There is a noticeable lack of visible stonework on these grass-covered mounds, the only exception to this being a vertical stone c. 1m high, embedded on one platform. This stone has a pointed top, in which is a notch which may have been man-made.

1. 48679 20537 – roughly circular, 6m. diameter

2. 48679 20524 – small rectangular building platform.

3. 48624 20527 – small circular building platform

4. 48634 20521 – rectangular sunken feature measuring 7m. x 2.5m.

5. 48639 20539 – small circular mound

6. 48696 20547 – small circular mound

7. 48701 20550 – small circular mound

8. 48708 20551 – building platform measuring 6m. x 4.5m with sunken ‘floor’

9. 48704 20559 – small circular mound

10. 48709 20559 – a poorly defined mound

11. 48715 20551 – building platform measuring 4.5m. in diameter

12. 48692 20533 – building platform measuring 4m. in diameter

13. 48700 20527 – a poorly defined mound

14. 48706 20532 – a poorly defined mound

15. 48721 20543 – a poorly defined mound

16. 48732 20531 – a building platform measuring c. 8m. x 5.5m.

17. 48733 20554 – building platform measuring 4m. in diameter.

18. 48743 20550 – building platform measuring 6m. in diameter

19. 48750 20532 – building platform c. 3m. in diameter

20. 48751 20517 – building platform on which stands a vertical stone c. 1m. high with a

notch in the pointed top.

21. 48734 20518 – building platform measuring 5m. in diameter

22. 48705 20502 – building platform measuring 4.5m. in diameter

23. 48713 20515 – building platform measuring 4m. in diameter

24. 48712 20475 – building platform measuring 5.5m. in diameter

BAA2 Cnoc nam Pìob - Isolated mounds

There are at least two isolated mounds, set within the area of rough grass to the S and W of the site.

BAA2a Possible Hut mound NM 48478 20327

This high mound, set among the rough white grass, is bracken-covered, with moss-covered tumbled stonework in no discernible pattern.

BAA2b Hut mound NM 48357 20470

Two roughly circular and joined areas of short turf lie amid the rough white grass of the valley. The more easterly has an indented centre and tumbled stone. The other is smaller and also has evidence of stonework.

BAA2c Possible hut mound NM 48344 20514

A roughly elliptical mound, situated in the midst of rough grazing, may have been a hut platform.

BAA3 Cnoc nam Pìob - Farmstead centred on enclosure at NM48635 20486

BAA3a Rig An area of cultivation rigs lies on fertile ground between Cnoc nam Pìob to the NE and the remains of two enclosures to the SW.

BAA3b. Enclosure and possible structure NM 48638 20496

The rocky outcrop at NM48636 20482 is enclosed by the turf-topped footings of a wall, which extends to enclose an area of flatter land to the NW. Within this enclosure at its western edge a short length of stone edging is visible, 1.8m long, lying SE - NW. Any other remaining stonework is below the turf and has not been excavated.

BAA3c Spring, pond and dam. NM 48595 20467

10 m to the W is a spring and a dammed area of reed and bog, which may at one time have been a pond. Water from the spring becomes a burn, flowing in a westerly direction.

BAA3d Enclosures NM 48503 20420

At the most westerly point of the cultivated land are the remains of two enclosures, possibly animal handling pens. Only the grass-covered footings of the walls remain to a height of c. 0.5m and now spread up to 1m. The more westerly enclosure or pen is approximately 9.7m square, with the NE wall extending to 15m. A passageway, 0.8m wide, separates it from the neighbouring pen, which measures approximately 12.2 x 10m. Very little stonework remains in any wall and it is difficult to see where the entrances would have been.

BAA3e Enclosing and Head Dyke

Remains of a turf-covered dyke lead from the N corner of the E pen, in a north- easterly direction, forming the boundary of the cultivated land. It can be followed most of the way until it turns SE at NM 48692 20505, forming a head dyke, on the other side of which lies the shieling hut site. This dyke then continues SE for 37m until it abuts the foot of the slope of Cnoc nam Pìob at NM 48668 20529

BAA4 Cnoc nam Pìob - Sheepfank NM 4848 2049

This drystone fank is composed of one large pen and two smaller pens, abutting a passageway. It is aligned SSW-NNE, with the main entrance leading into the main pen slightly off-centre in the SSW wall. The state of repair of this fank is very good, as it was extensively repaired in 2003. The original workmanship is of varied quality. The outer walls are well-constructed, while the walls of the dividing pens are of very poor quality. It may be that this is due to poor repair work in previous years, or that in the original building, the expert dykers were used to built the exterior walls, while farm labourers worked on the pens.

The height of the walls is approximately 1.7m throughout. The only exception being the NNE facing wall of the main pen. The ground level rises here, so that the height of the SSW face is 2m, while the NNE face is only 1.2m. The interior corners of the external wall are curved. All the walls are coped with large, wide, spanning stones, with some evidence of further capping, that once created a uniform level.

From the SW corner of the fank protrudes the remains of a short wall, robbed out for repairs in 2003, linking the corner with a turf dyke, lying NNW-SSE.

The entrance of the passageway at the ESE corner of the fank had originally been restricted to half its present width, but was widened at the time of its repair in 2003 as there was not enough available stone to restore it.

A clearly defined shearing stool remains against the SSE facing wall, with the possibility of another close by.

Outside the NNW wall are the footings of two or three other buildings. These are almost completely robbed out, so that it is difficult to tell whether they lay entirely outwith the fank, or whether parts lie beneath the walls.