Glen Seilisdeir

Photographs taken of the area

Glen Seilisdeir lies between Loch na Keal and Loch Scridain. From the watershed, Allt na Teangaidh flows N into Loch na Keal and Abhainn Bail’ a’ Mhuilinn flows SE into Loch Scridain. An ancient trackway lies to W of these rivers, just above the marshy flood plain, although at least half of it was swallowed up in blanket forestry plantation in the 1950s. In former centuries the glen would have been common grazing land for possibly three farms – Balmeanach, Gribun and Killiemore (Kilfinichen). There are at least 4 shieling hut sites on both sides of the river.

In the 1860s, a new road was put through the glen by the Road Trustees for the District of Mull, and this runs to the E of the rivers. At some stage, a small farmstead was established on the E side of the “new” road, at a height of 155m above sea level. Here, the river (Abhainn Bail’ a’ Mhuilinn) is flowing in a deepening gully, and the land immediately to the E of the river is gently sloping.

It is unlikely that the farmstead functioned for very long, but the rigs were very clear until quite recently, when the area was used for the ring feeding of cattle during several winters and the ground became badly poached(c.2011).

A life–long resident of Gribun, Archy MacFadyen (d. 1995), said that the farmhouse was an “Inn”. Although there is no documentary record of this, it is not unlikely that folk travelling across the glen might use the house as such – there is no other habitation in the glen. So far, no documentation at all relating to this site has been discovered.

The only remains of the farmstead that could still be recognised in 2002, when photographs were taken, were of an area of rig contained between two small streams, a small enclosure beside one of the streams and the footings of a building.

Source: Pennyghael in the Past Historical Archive

Aerial photos used to identify the site