Leitir Mhor
Head Dyke (Post Medieval), Township (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Leitir Mhor
Classification Head Dyke (Post Medieval), Township (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Laidmor
Canmore ID 5675
Site Number NC64NW 4
NGR NC 617 460
NGR Description Centred NC 617 460
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/5675
- Council Highland
- Parish Tongue
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Sutherland
- Former County Sutherland
NC64NW 4 centred 617 460
See also NC64NW 5, NC64NW 6, NC64NW 7.
(Centred NC 617 460) The remains of the depopulated settlement of Leitir Mhor, shown as Laidmor in 1747 (Roy 1747-55). It stretches from NC 613 451 to NC 617 469 and consists of foundations and enclosures, the whole bounded by a dyke. At NC 6173 4624, NC 6172 4616 and NC 6175 4620 and three large 'platforms' scooped into the slope and bounded by stone walls. The last mentioned was described in 1874 as a graveyard which had been disused for many years (ONB 1874).
W Roy 1747-55; Name Book 1874.
This area was part of 'Lord Reay's Country' which was bought by the Duke of Sutherland in 1829. The clearances are presumbaly later than this date, possibly about 1855 when there are known to have been clearances in Tongue.
J Prebble 1963.
The linear deserted township of Leitir Mhor comprises five scattered 'longhouses', the largest being about 35.0m by 0.4m and two corn-drying kilns within a head dyke.
Areas of former cultivation with a distinctive turf covering are apparent.
Revised at 1/10,000.
Visited by OS (J B) 10 October 1978.
This township comprises eighteen unroofed buildings, of which four are long buildings, two unroofed structures, four enclosures and a head dyke as depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1878, sheet xxxv). Six roofed and fifteen unroofed buildings, of which five are ruined, one small enclosure, a head dyke and field walls are shown on the curent edition of the OS 1:10,000 map (1992).
Informaiton from RCAHMS (SAH) 23 August 1995.
