Barra, Balnabodach

NF70SW 14 centred on 714 014

L8: (Centred NF 7155 0167) A hamlet of 6 houses all reduced to little more than grassy humps, lying to the E of a small stream on a slope by Loch Obe. The houses range from 5.2m to 12m in length, the biggest standing on an elevation a little above the others.

On the opposite (W) side of the stream, centred NF 7154 0168, are a further 6 structures (L9) all with stone walls still standing to a metre or more. The structures include three or four houses (ranging from 7.15m to 14.3m), and two pens or sheds.

Immediately W is an extensive midden, preserved in silt, producing 19th century ceramics. There is a clear impression that the latter buildings replaced the former at some point in time. Oral tradition has it that the later settlement was abandoned when its inhabitants were struck down by an unknown epidemic.

(NMRS MSS give plans of the later buildings.)

K Branigan 1992; NMRS MS/595/7, 3, 13; MS 595/8, 12

(previously NF70SW 15)

L12: NF 7118 0183: Large blackhouse, 16.8 x 4.5m with well-grassed over foundations and the S end of the building crossed by a modern fence-line.

Also L11, a second blackhouse, 9.6 x 5.5m with standing walls.

A short distance NE, at NF 7120 0185 is a small stone-built outbuilding (L10) measuring 5 x 4.9m, door in centre of N wall, standing over 1m high.

NMRS MS/595/7, 4

A township comprising twenty-five roofed, one partially roofed, four unroofed buildings and a short length of head-dyke is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Hebrides, Barra etc. 1880, sheet lxv). Thirteen roofed, nine unroofed buildings and the head-dyke are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1971).

Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 19 June 1997

NF 715 016 A blackhouse in the abandoned township of Balnabodach was excavated as part of a programme of research into the history and development of post-medieval settlement on Barra. House L8A was selected as surface indications suggested a multi-period construction.

This proved to be the case. The house was first built as a one-roomed structure, 9.5 x 6.8m, with markedly curving end walls. Subsequently an annexe was added at one end, creating an additional room with interior measurements 4 x 2.5m. It had no drain, the entrance to it was only 200mm wide, and there was a 'fireplace' or brazier stand. This room does not appear to have been a byre, but more probably was for domestic use. At some stage the rear wall of the house was demolished and rebuilt, and it was probably at this time that a square brick-built 'stove-stand' was built in the main room.

Material culture was generally poor, but 51 pottery vessels were identified. Their date of production ranges from c 1760-80 to c 1840-60, with the bulk in the period c 1820-50. We believe the house (and others associated with it) was abandoned c 1850, almost certainly as part of Gordon of Cluny's Clearances; census data strongly supports this conclusion.

Sponsor: Sheffield University.

K Brannigan 1996