Skye, Allt A'mhuilinn, Leanigearigh

NG 6410 0700 (centred on) and NG 6300 0550 A desk-based assessment and walkover survey were carried out 21 October 2010–22 February 2011, in advance of a woodland creation scheme. The work was undertaken to assess the nature and extent of any archaeology likely to be affected by the scheme and to inform recommendations for the protection and management of any sites.

The survey identified a significant number of new sites including 38 farmsteads/houses, 11 byres/bothies, 11 small enclosures and kale yards, 1 corn-drying kiln, 83 shielings, 1 possible still, 15 large field enclosures, 84 field boundaries/dykes and 36 areas of rig and furrow cultivation. The majority of these structures had been constructed from turf, with only a small proportion of the farmsteads and shielings built from stone. The only prehistoric site was a hut circle.

The survey of the area has revealed a complex of small settlements, individual farmsteads and houses, and their associated ancillary buildings, enclosures and cultivation plots, possibly relating to several phases of occupation and the use of the wider landscape through transhumance activities. The location of some of the farmsteads and more nucleated areas of settlement appear to relate to the abandoned and cleared townships of Leanigarry, Ostaigmhor and Ostaigbeg, which had been identified from estate and OS maps.

The large numbers of shieling structures identified within the survey areas at Kilbeg indicate the important role of the transhumance economy. While often considered as ancillary to the main townships, it is clear that shielings should be considered an equally important counterpart to the main settlements.

Archive: Highland HER, RCAHMS and WCAS (intended)

Funder: Clan Donald Estates, Armadale, Skye

West Coast Archaeological Services, 2011

OASIS Id: westcoas1-96347

Field survey in advance of woodland planting scheme recorded a number of sites all of which have been assigned as part of a township (survey site Nos 125-6, 132-8, 143-7, 176-199.

125 Enclosure Turf and stone enclosure (bracken-, grass- and moss-covered) attached to N and S sides of boundary wall. NE enclosure measures 5m NW-SE by 4m over walls spread to 1.0m, surviving to 0.5m high. SW enclosure measures 11m NW-SE by 3.5m over walls, surviving to 0.5m high and spread to 1.0m. The boundary wall postdates the NE enclosure. (NG 62785 06572)

126 Enclosure Turf and stone enclosure (bracken-, grass- and moss-covered), best survival to N side, measuring 9m NW-SE over walls spread to 1.2m, surviving to 0.3m high. (NG 62815 06570)

132-a House Farmstead comprising two stone-built houses connected at W ends by stone wall 1m wide up to 0.5m high which may form a porch. Drystone rectangular house (surrounded by heather, rush, grass and moss) measuring 14m ENE WSW by 5.5m over walls spread to 1.0m wide, surviving to 0.5m high. Located 6m from ENE end in a S-facing entrance 0.8m wide and there is a twinning pen in the NW corner of the structure (NG 62953 06490)

132-b House Farmstead comprising two stone-built houses connected at W ends by stone wall 1m wide up to 0.5m high which may form a porch. Drystone rectangular house (surrounded by heather, rush, grass and moss) measuring 15m NE-SW by 5m over walls spread to 0.6m wide, surviving to 0.5m high. There is an N-facing entrance in the N wall, 4m from the NE corner. (NG 62970 06485)

132-c Pen Drystone twinning pen located in the NW corner of Site 132-a. It measures 1.2m by 1.0m with walls 1.4m high surviving to 0.5m high. (NG 62953 06489)

133-a Kiln Located on a flat terrace with a S-facing aspect is a small settlement under bracken, grass and moss. Turf and stone corn-drying kiln measures 5m NE-SW by 3.5m over walls spread to 0.8m, surviving up to 1.2m high. The bowl of the kiln is located in the NE end of the structure and is stone-lined. The entrance, 0.6m wide is located in the SE corner of the structure (NG 63085 06566)

133-b Byre? Located on a flat terrace with a S-facing aspect is a small settlement under bracken, grass and moss. Turf and stone rectilinear building measuring 7m N-S by 4m wide over walls spread to 0.8m, surviving up to 0.8m high. Possible opposing entrances in W and E walls, measuring 0.6 and 0.7m wide. (NG 63096 06555)

133-c House Located on a flat terrace with a S-facing aspect is a small settlement under bracken, grass and moss. Turf and stone rectilinear building measuring 14m E W by 5m wide over walls spread to 0.6m, surviving up to 0.5m high. There is a partition wall at 2.5m from the W end and an entrance, 0.8m wide, located in the S walling W and E walls, measuring 0.6 and 0.7m wide (NG 63098 06547).

133-d Enclosure Located on a flat terrace with a S-facing aspect is a small settlement under bracken, grass and moss. Turf and stone amorphous-shaped enclosure abuts W side of Site 133-c and measures 14m N-S by 10m over walls spread to 1.2m and surviving to 0.8m (NG 63081 06548).

133-e House? Located on a flat terrace with a S-facing aspect is a small settlement under bracken, grass and moss. Located within SW corner of Site 133-d is a turf and stone rectilinear building, measuring 10.5m NNW-SSE by 4.5m over walls 0.8m, surviving to 0.5m high. There is an entrance 0.7m wide in W side (NG 63075 06532).

133-f Enclosure Located on a flat terrace with a S-facing aspect is a small settlement under bracken, grass and moss. Off the NW side of Site 133-e is a stone and turf E-shaped enclosure measuring 8m NW-SE by 7m over walls 0.8m wide and surviving to 0.6m high (NG 63072 06551)

133-g Bank Located on a flat terrace with a S-facing aspect is a small settlement under bracken, grass and moss. Arcing around the W side of Site 133-e is a turf bank spread to 2m wide and standing to 0.8m high (NG 63068 06540).

134 Track Degraded remains of a rough track with evidence for possible cobbling, although mostly washed out. The track measures on average 2m wide (NG 63219 06492).

135-a House Located to 50m south of the road on a SE-facing terrace is a farmstead comprising two buildings. Bracken-, grass- and heather-covered drystone house measuring 14m NE-SW by 6m over walls 0.8m wide and surviving to 0.8m high. A partition wall is located 8m from NE end and an entrance, 0.8m wide, is located 7m from the NE end and opens to the SE (NG 63153 06631).

135-b Byre Located to 50m south of the road on a SE-facing terrace is a farmstead comprising two buildings. Located 6m to NW of house is a bracken-, grass- and heather-covered drystone byre, measuring 5m by 4.5m over walls 1.0m wide and surviving to 0.6m high. There is a entrance in the SE side measuring 0.6m wide and the structure is built into a slope on its NW side (NG 63143 06641).

136-a Enclosure Very degraded heather- and grass-covered turf enclosure wall probably attached to degraded boundary dyke and associated with small farmstead and probably had been attached to the same. The enclosure measures 40m E-W by 35m over walls spread to 0.8m wide (NG 63278 06399).

136-b Byre Located under heather, rush and grass to the west side of a small burn are the remains of a small farmstead. Stone footings of a small byre measuring 10m NE-SW by 5m wide over walls 0.6m wide surviving to 0.5m high. There is no visible entrance (NG 63321 06402).

136-c House Located under heather, rush and grass to the west side of a small burn are the remains of a small farmstead. Located 2.5m to the SW of Site 136-b are the remains of a stone and turf house measuring 15m NE-SW by 5.5m wide over walls 0.8m wide surviving to 0.6m high. There is a probable entrance located in the SE wall measuring 0.8m wide (NG 63307 06389).

137 House Located under heather, grass and rush 2m to the south of a boundary dyke are the remains of a stone and turf rectilinear structure, measuring approximately 6m E-W by 4m over walls spread to 0.8m and surviving up to 0.6m high (NG 63309 06345).

138 House Located around 150m W of modern sheepfold and 6m S of the road under heather, bracken, grass and rush are the remains of a house. The stone and turf rectilinear house measures 13m NE-SW by 5.5m over walls spread to 0.8m and surviving up to 0.6m high. There is a possible entrance in SE side measuring 0.6m wide and a curving wall to SE side could be the remains of a porch (NG 63322 06542).

143 Bothy Located on NE-facing slopes and set against a NE-facing rock face at the E edge of the survey area under grass and rushes is a turf structure. The possible bothy or shieling measuring 6m NW-SE by 3m over walls 0.8m wide and surviving to 0.6m high. There is a possible entrance in the N corner measuring 0.8m wide (NG 63757 05830).

144 Bothy Located to SW of roofed house Site 145 and obscured by its displaced red tin roof is the ruinous remains of a byre. The drystone structure measures 6.5m E W by 5m wide over walls 0.6m wide and surviving to 1.2m high. Some areas of walling had been reinforced with mortar and the corners of the building are rounded . The entrance, 0.8m wide, is located 2m from the NE end of the structure. Located between the entrance and the SW corner of the building is opening 1.4m wide that has a mortared sill (NG 63594 06223).

145 House Former house, with mortared walls and harling, still stands with its roof intact. The building is probably still in use by the crofter (NG 63619 06243)

146 Shieling Located to the N side of a burn, is a circular turf shieling under bracken and grass. The structure measures 3.5m in diameter over walls spread to 0.6m and surviving to 0.6m high. There is entrance 0.6m wide in the NE side (NG 63492 06176).

147 Unknown A grass-covered fragment of a degraded turf bank, spread to 0.8m wide and up to 0.3m high, running below a modern post/wire fence. It is the remains of a structure of unknown use predating the sheep fank and area of rig and furrow (NG 63396 06533).

156 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope bounded by dykes to S and SE and a stream to NW. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 1.5m wide and stand to 0.5m high, with 2m-wide furrows (NG 62738 06485).

157 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope above and to N of low-lying plain. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 3m wide and stand to 0.4m high, with 2m-wide furrows (NG 62901 06412).

158 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope located to N of Site 132. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.3m high, with 2.5m-wide furrows (NG 62920 06574).

159 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope located to E of steep scarp. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.4m high, with 1.5m-wide furrows (NG 63105 06601)

160 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on SW-facing slope and split into two terraces The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.5m high, with 1m-wide furrows (NG 63069 06490).

161 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope enclosed by a dyke (Site 179) to E and a track (Site 134) to the S. The rigs are generally aligned E-W and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.3m high, with 1m-wide furrows (NG 63132 06522).

162 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope above a floodplain. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.4m high, with 2m-wide furrows (NG 63165 06354).

163 Peat cuttings A large area of peat cutting generally aligned NE-SW, lying in a low, wet basin (NG 63237 06434).

164 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope to S of road. The rigs are generally aligned NE-SW and measure up to 3m wide and stand to 0.5m high, with 2.5m-wide furrows (NG 63168 06587).

165 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope surrounding house Site 138. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.4m high, with 2.5m-wide furrows (NG 63309 06561).

166 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on SW-facing slope located to SE of upstanding house Site 145. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2.5m wide and stand to 0.5m high, with 1m-wide furrows (NG 63643 06171).

167 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope located to S of road and N of small burn. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2.5m wide and stand to 0.5m high, with 1.5m-wide furrows (NG 63563 06437).

168 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope located to SE of sheepfank. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2.5m wide and stand to 0.4m high, with 1.5m-wide furrows (NG 63400 06441).

169 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow located on the brow of a hill to SE of stream. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.5m high, with 2.5m-wide furrows (NG 63378 06338).

170 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow comprising four rigs aligned NW-SE and measuring 40m long. They measure up to 2.5m wide and stand to 0.4m high, with 1.5m-wide furrows (NG 63411 06325).

171 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope located to W of upstanding house Site 145. The rigs are generally aligned N-S and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.4m high, with 1.5m-wide furrows (NG 63489 06315).

172 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope located within a green field to S of sheepfank. The rigs are generally aligned NW-SE and measure up to 3m wide and stand to 0.3m high, with 2m-wide furrows (NG 63374 06510)

173 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope located to S of road and SE of sheepfank. The rigs are generally aligned NW-SE and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.5m high, with 1m-wide furrows (NG 63487 06480).

175 Rig and furrow Area of rig and furrow on S-facing slope located in NE corner of Survey Area 2. The rigs are generally aligned NE-SW and measure up to 2m wide and stand to 0.4m high, with 1m-wide furrows (NG 63795 806106).

176 Boundary dyke Turf and stone linear boundary dyke measuring 1m wide and surviving up to 0.5m high. Part of the wall continues N across the road and into survey Area 1 and a small segment of walling parallels the N end of the boundary and could be the remains of an ea (NG 62839 06577).

177 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary dyke measuring 1m wide and surviving up to 1m high. Part of the wall continues W across the burn and further remains may continue outside of the survey area (NG 62737 06401).

178 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary dyke measuring 0.8m wide and surviving up to 0.5m high. Part of the wall continues northward alongside the burn and appears to end at the base of a hillslope at the NW end (NG 62765 06586).

179 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary dyke measuring 1.2m wide and surviving up to 1m high. The wall ends at the SE end at a burn valley but the N end appears to continue outside of the survey area into survey Area 1 (NG 63208 06401).

180 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary dyke measuring 0.9m wide and survives up to 0.4m high, runs E-W across low-lying area in the NW corner of the survey area (NG 62801 06607).

181 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary dyke running E-W and may relate to the boundary which continues NE on the E side of the burn (NG 62890 06533).

182 Boundary walls Five short fragments of turf/stone boundary walls located around the small farmstead, Site 132 (NG 62934 06490).

183 Boundary walls Three fragments of turf/stone walling which probably formed a continuous boundary around the rig and furrow Site 158 and may have linked to the walling in Site182 to the S and probably abutted Site 176 to the W (NG 62902 06658).

184 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary dyke measuring 1.2m wide and surviving up to 1m high in places. The wall continues N across the road and further N through survey Area 1 and probably formed a pre-clearance field boundary (NG 63259 06494).

185 Boundary wall One fragment of a turf boundary wall which probably formed part of a larger field boundary (NG 63206 06501).

186 Boundary walls Three fragments of stone/turf boundary or enclosure walls, which may postdate the farmstead Site 136 (NG 63300 06426).

187 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary wall on E-W alignment which borders the S side of rig and furrow Site 168. The wall measures 0.8m wide and survives up to 0.5m high (NG 63404 06424).

188 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary wall on N-S alignment which is surrounded by an area of rig and furrow Site 173. The wall measures 0.8m wide and survives up to 0.4m high (NG 63477 06500).

189 Boundary walls Three fragments of turf/stone boundary walls (NG 63529 06410).

190 Boundary wall Turf and stone boundary wall which may continue to the E where it runs N across the road and continues into survey Area 1 (NG 63556 06397).

191 Boundary walls Very degraded remains of several segments of turf and stone walling which probably represents several phases of land use (NG 63698 06408).

192 Boundary dyke One segment of turf and stone boundary wall measuring 1m wide and up to 0.5m high, which is abutted by Site 137 (NG 63297 06348).

193 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary dyke measuring 1.0m wide and surviving up to 1.2m high, which probably formed a field boundary (NG 63148 06284).

194 Boundary dyke Turf and stone boundary dyke measuring 1.0m wide and surviving up to 0.6m high alongside the burn valley. It probably formed a field boundary (NG 62552 06280).

195 Boundary walls Fragments of very degraded stone and turf boundary walling alongside the Allt a Mhuilinn burn valley and probably represents several phases of walling and various areas field and boundary walls (NG 63188 06111).

196 Boundary dyke Fragments of very degraded stone and turf boundary walling extending E-W across bracken-covered fields to the E side of farmstead Site 145. The dyke is divided at the centre by a small burn (NG 63688 06223).

197 Boundary wall Fragment of a stone and turf boundary wall measuring 0.8m wide and surviving up to 0.5m high and probably formed part of a field boundary (NG 63810 06092).

198 Boundary dyke Linear stone and turf boundary dyke on NNE-SSW alignment, measuring 1m wide and surviving up to 1m high (NG 63968 06082).

199 Boundary dyke Linear stone and turf boundary dyke on NNE-SSW alignment, measuring 1m wide and surviving up to 1m high (NG 63996 06073).

Information from OASIS Id: westcoas1-96347 (S Birch) 2011

NG 6410 0700 (centred on) and NG 6300 0550 A desk-based assessment and walkover survey were carried out 21 October 2010–22 February 2011, in advance of a woodland creation scheme. The work was undertaken to assess the nature and extent of any archaeology likely to be affected by the scheme and to inform recommendations for the protection and management of any sites.

The survey identified a significant number of new sites including 38 farmsteads/houses, 11 byres/bothies, 11 small enclosures and kale yards, 1 corn-drying kiln, 83 shielings, 1 possible still, 15 large field enclosures, 84 field boundaries/dykes and 36 areas of rig and furrow cultivation. The majority of these structures had been constructed from turf, with only a small proportion of the farmsteads and shielings built from stone. The only prehistoric site was a hut circle.

The survey of the area has revealed a complex of small settlements, individual farmsteads and houses, and their associated ancillary buildings, enclosures and cultivation plots, possibly relating to several phases of occupation and the use of the wider landscape through transhumance activities. The location of some of the farmsteads and more nucleated areas of settlement appear to relate to the abandoned and cleared townships of Leanigarry, Ostaigmhor and Ostaigbeg, which had been identified from estate and OS maps.

The large numbers of shieling structures identified within the survey areas at Kilbeg indicate the important role of the transhumance economy. While often considered as ancillary to the main townships, it is clear that shielings should be considered an equally important counterpart to the main settlements.

Archive: Highland HER, RCAHMS and WCAS (intended)

Funder: Clan Donald Estates, Armadale, Skye

West Coast Archaeological Services, 2011

OASIS Id: westcoas1-96347