Skye, Claigan

Field visit, site description, sketches and photographs.

Review of historic maps, printed sources, estate papers and census records.

This township lies 50m above sea level, on a slight N-facing slope, overlooking Lovaig Bay. It is set amongst an extensive field system of lazy beds and enclosures which spreads from NG 23741 54854 in the E to NG 22607 55366 in the W. The core of the township appears to be a group of ten buildings and one enclosure centred on NG 23320 54960, with an isolated building and corn drying kiln lying approximately 260m to the NW, at NG 23079 55060. A further 220m WNW of this, at NG 2287 5512, is another building, which may have been part of the settlement, but has been recorded separately under NG25NW 13.

All of the buildings are rectangular and the walls are built of dry-stone rubble. Most have been badly robbed for the conversion of one building (building 8) into a sheep fank, and now survive as low grass-covered footings. They are orientated approximately N-S, with their narrow end facing Lovaig Bay, providing a buffer from the coastal winds.

The township is known locally as Lovaig and The Deer Commission of 1892 included it in the following list of deserted townships on Dunvegan Estate which could be re-settled: “Lowavaig, Nishabost, Orlarach, Swordale, Totachogar, Bay” (The Royal Commission on the Highlands and Islands, 1892, 5072 and 5228). It states that these places had been “cleared 60 years ago” which places its clearance at about 1842. The first census of 1841 does not record anyone living here, which suggests it may have occurred slightly earlier. Historic maps do not show settlement in this area, although Murdoch MacKenzie’s 1775 map of ‘The North part of Sky Island and the adjacent mainland ...’ and his 1776 map of ‘The channel between Sky Island and the Lewis ...’ show the place names Scoravday and Scoravay, respectively, at the correct location.

Site sketches showing the distribution and dimensions of the township buildings are attached to this site record and should be consulted with the detailed notes below.

Building 1 is built into an old field dyke at NG 23443 54816 and lies c190m SE of the main group. It measures 5m x 5.7m externally with walls 1m thick and 0.4m high. The corners are rounded on the outside and squared inside, and there is an entrance in its N wall.

Building 2 lies at NG 23339 54932 and is built into an old field dyke which runs in a SE-NW direction. It measures 7.8m x 5m externally and its N wall, which is stone-built, measures 0.7m think and stands up to 0.8m high, whilst its S end is built of turf and survives as a low footing.

Building 3 lies 20m NW of building 2 and is built into the same dyke at NG 23318 54863. It measures 13.5m x 5m overall, with walls 1.3m thick and 0.5m high where measurable. There are two compartments, the N-most measuring 10.5m x 5m externally and the S measuring 3m x 3m internally, but there is no opening between them and no obvious entrances in the external walls. The building appears to have been badly robbed and several large stones have been discarded around it.

Building 4 lies about 40m NE of building 3 at NG 23351 54996. It measures approximately 20m x 5m overall, with walls up to 1m thick and 1.1m high. It is sub-divided into three compartments, measuring from N-S, 5m x 5m, 10.5m x 5m, and 4.5m x 5m. The S-most compartment tapers to 2.4m wide and the principal (central) compartment has an entrance, 0.9m wide, in its NE wall. This building does not appear to have been robbed of stone but there are boulders lying around, which may have been discarded, or field clearance or geological.

‘Building’ 5 is situated at NG 23312 55013, c40m WNW of building 4, and comprises two structures, one a cairn of stones, which may be field clearance, and the other a small stone platform lying on the lip of steeper slope.

Building 6 lies 60m WSW of building 5 at NG 23247 54990. It has been badly robbed and only a low outline remains, measuring 7m x 5m.

Building 7 lies 15m SSW of building 6 and has also been badly robbed. It measures 14m x 8m.

Building 8 lies 15m SSE of building 7 at NG23253 54939. It measures 20m x 7m overall and is sub-divided into two compartments, each measuring10m in length. The S compartment appears to have been a dwelling and the N compartment, a byre; there are openings in the E walls of both, which appear to date from the re-modelling of this structure as a sheep fank. Other alterations are apparent, including blocked doorways and the addition of a curved wall built on the east side of the house to filter sheep into building. There may be a drain in the centre of the W wall of the N compartment and the N wall of the S compartment. This was probably the best preserved building in the township and therefore chosen to convert to sheep pens.

Building 9 lies 10m NW of building 8 at NG 23270 54958. It has been badly robbed, but appears to have been a long building, measuring 17m x 5m overall, comprised of two compartments, measuring 5m and 12m long, respectively. To the S of the building and behind the filter wall which runs from building 8 to the SW corner of this building, is a circle of stones which may have been a stack base.

Building 10 lies 25m SE of building 9 at NG23281 54915. It has been badly robbed and measures 13m x 6m, with a possible outshot on its SE wall creating an L-shaped plan.

Structure 11, an enclosure, lies 25m N of building 10 at NG 23288 54954. It measures 14m x 10.3m and may have been a garden plot.

The corn drying kiln and building lie approximately 260m NW of the main township buildings at NG 23079 55060, on the W bank of a small stream. The building measures 9.4m x 6.2m externally over walls approximately 1m thick and standing up to 0.9m high. There is no obvious entrance. The kiln is 8m to the S and the bowl measures1.3m internally and 4.5m externally. The bowl and flue were cleared by Mr and Mrs Calder of Claigan Farm in the 1950s.

Information from Marjorie MacInnes, November 2010.