Benbecula, Borve, Sidhean Bhuirgh
Cairn (Prehistoric)(Possible), Cist (Bronze Age)(Possible)
Site Name Benbecula, Borve, Sidhean Bhuirgh
Classification Cairn (Prehistoric)(Possible), Cist (Bronze Age)(Possible)
Alternative Name(s) Sithaen Bhuirgh
Canmore ID 9907
Site Number NF74NE 12
NGR NF 7651 4978
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/9907
- Council Western Isles
- Parish South Uist
- Former Region Western Isles Islands Area
- Former District Western Isles
- Former County Inverness-shire
NF74NE 2 7651 4978.
(NF 7651 4978) Round mound with large boulders in top.
OS 6"map, annotated by O G S Crawford, 1 June 1936.
Short cist, Sithaen Bhuirgh, Borve, Benbecula. At the extreme south-western point of the island, 110 yards south-south-east of the earth house, (see NF74NE 10) a sandy, grass-covered hillock, rising to 30ft above sea level, has seven large blocks of stone on the summit. One, on its edge, looks like the side of a cist; another looks like a cover stone.
RCAHMS 1928.
The site is generally as described above; several large stones, including the (?) cover-stone remain but the side stone has been removed.
Visited by OS (J T T) 26 May 1965.
This prominent mound was augured and found to consist of clean sand to a depth of 1.8m.
I Shepherd, I Ralston and C Maclean 1979.
Field Visit (13 July 1915)
Short Cist, Sithean Bhuirgh, Borve.
At the extreme south-western point of the island, about 5/8 mile south-west of Borve Castle, is a sandy, grass-covered hillock rising in a gentle slope from the rocks on the sea-shore to a height of some 30 feet above sea-level, on the summit of which are seven large blocks of stone. The two largest stones measure 5 feet by 1 foot 10 inches by 1 foot 2 inches, and 5 feet 1 inch by 4 feet 10 inches by 10 inches, respectively; the former being placed on its edge looks like the side of a cist, and the latter has the appearance of a cover stone.
RCAHMS 1928, visited 13 July 1915.
OS map: South Uist xlv (unnoted)
Field Visit (2004 - 2009)
NF 7700 5001 (1km square centred on) A desk-based assessment and walkover survey were carried out between 2004 and 2009 in order to identify archaeological features on Borve machair and Rudha na Sithean, and to establish if these sites merited further investigation. The majority of the sites identified have produced pottery sherds that are typical of Iron Age settlement in the Western Isles, but a sherd of Norse platter ware has also been recovered. The sites are currently being damaged by ploughing and rabbits.
Borve Machair The survey area included two scheduled ancient monuments; a medieval hall-house (Borve Castle, NF75SE 12), and a medieval chapel overlying an earlier settlement mound (Teampull Bhuirgh, NF75SE 13). The survey identified a further 13 mounds, the largest c100m across.
Rudha na Sithean The survey area included two scheduled ancient monuments; a cairn with a cist (NF74NE 12), and a settlement mound listed as a souterrain (NF74NE 10). The settlement mound is set within a rectangular stone-walled enclosure (52 x 38m). Approximately 70m to the SW, a distinct cropmark is visible on satellite images taken in September 2004. The cropmark consists of a rectangular structure, 35 x 17m with rounded corners. The structure is not visible on the ground. Two other large mounds are visible in this area. The survey also identified intertidal peat deposits on the foreshore. The peat had been exposed by coastal erosion and contained preserved wood.
Report: CNES SMR
Robin Volkers
