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Sourlies
Bothy (20th Century) (1977), Byre (19th Century), Farmstead (19th Century), Shepherds Cottage (19th Century)
Site Name Sourlies
Classification Bothy (20th Century) (1977), Byre (19th Century), Farmstead (19th Century), Shepherds Cottage (19th Century)
Canmore ID 375709
Site Number NM89NE 5
NGR NM 86741 95069
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/375709
- Council Highland
- Parish Glenelg (Lochaber)
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Lochaber
- Former County Inverness-shire
Note (5 July 2022)
NM89NE 5 NM 86741 95068
This 19th century byre, now in use as a bothy, is situated at the head of Loch Nevis some 12km SE of the settlement at Inverie, together with a small enclosure 10m to the NW and a roofless cottage some 140m to the ESE, and an enclosed area of improved ground along the coast to its S. Isolated plots of lazy beds extend along the coast to the W, while there are extensive remains of post-medieval settlement and cultivation about 500m to the SE at Finiskaig (NM89SE 3).
Two roofed buildings and an area of cultivated ground are depicted at Sourlies on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, sheet cviii, 1876) and it was described at the time as a ’shepherd’s dwelling… nearly opposite the sheep farmer’s dwelling at Finiskaig’ (OS Name Book, Inverness-shire, No. 13, p.4). Three roofed buildings, a garden and enclosed field are depicted on the 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, sheet cviii, 1902).
On the night of the 1881 census ‘Surlies’ was occupied by shepherd’s wife Elizabeth McKenzie (41) and her 4 children Catherine (12), Janet (9), Hector (6) and Alexander (3).
One roofed building annotated 'Sourlies (Bothy)' and two unroofed buildings are depicted on the current edition of the OS (GIS) Mastermap.
Information from HES Archaeological Survey (D M Bratt) 5 July 2022
(Allan 2017, 134-7)
