St Kilda, Hirta, The Gap, Geo Na Eaige

NF 1076 9974. Situated on the edge of the cliff a short distance SE of The Gap, are the remains of a cairn which has possibly measured c.4.0.m N-S x 3.2m transversely. 4 large erect slabs protrude from the turf-covered stony mound. Much of the cairn has been destroyed by recent cliff-fall.

Visited by OS (J L D) 11 August 1967.

NF 108 997 A fine example of a 'boat-shaped setting' at the edge of the cliff known as The Gap was in grave danger of falling into the sea through coastal erosion. Using expert mountaineering advice the site was able to be excavated. The site was built in an old stream bed of geological age, but the ground may also have been de-turfed in preparation. The upright stones of the inner wall face were then set, some being propped by smaller chock-stones. An inner chamber of 1.45m by 1.65m was thereby formed. The stones of the outer face of the wall were then installed, generally angled downwards towards the middle of the monument, presumably for stability. The wall was about 0.75m thick. Between the stones was a peat-based mortar, some disernible sods of which survived. Inside, the floor level was raised by as much as 550mm using flat, irregular stone flags in a peat sod matrix. While this appeared to have been carried out in a single episode designed to raise the level above that of the unsightly chock stones, the persistence of roughly horizontal layers of flat stones indicates that the operation was conducted with an extraordinary degree of care.

There was no clear indication of the original height of the walls, but the remains survived to over 0.70m high from the top of natural, and the largest internal upright stone was 1.26m high. The lack of debris within the post-use levels of the chamber suggests either no roof, or an easily removed or flimsy one. The upper parts of the walls may have been built up using peat sods, giving rise to a certain degree of mounding around the monument. At some stage the northern slayed entrance may deliberately have been blocked off which, in the absence of an alternative discernable entrance, would have left the structure sealed (except perhaps from above).

The only finds to be recovered were a few fragments of quartz, plus two water-worn pebbles, which all must have deliberately been brought to the site- 650ft above sea level.

This is the best example of a 'boat-shaped setting' excavated to date, revealing crucial structural information. The Gap example is clearly not boat-shaped. Nor does it resemble a St Kildan 'cleit'- a drystone storage structure. We have, however, yet to find the date and function of these enigmatic features, the best guess being that they are Bronze Age non-domestic monuments.

Sponsors: Shell UK, Historic Scotland, National Trust for Scotland.

R Turner 1995.