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Eigg, Struidh

Farmstead (Post Medieval), Field System (Post Medieval), Mound(S), Shieling Hut(S) (Post Medieval)

Site Name Eigg, Struidh

Classification Farmstead (Post Medieval), Field System (Post Medieval), Mound(S), Shieling Hut(S) (Post Medieval)

Canmore ID 118022

Site Number NM48NE 40

NGR NM 4955 8892

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/118022

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Small Isles
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Lochaber
  • Former County Inverness-shire

Archaeology Notes

NM48NE 40 4955 8892

'The land of Kildonnan farm stretched right up the east coast of the island and in a very remote and beautiful position on a fertile terrace between the high cliffs of the moor and the sea cliff below are the ruins of a shieling (NM 496 889).' Hugh Miller describes the shieling in 1845 giving details of the interior of the shieling-hut.

Hugh Miller 1858; S W Martins 1995. (Bib no. 34747)

A farmstead, comprising one unroofed building, one unroofed stucture and two large enclosures or fields is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Argyllshire & Inverness-shire, Islands of Rum & Eigg 1879, sheet lxxi). Two unroofed buildings, one unroofed structure and the two large enclosures are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1976).

Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 9 December 1996.

Activities

Field Visit (23 April 2002)

A farmstead straddles the Allt na h-Airde Mheadhonaich at Struidh, comprising four buildings, four huts, at least eight mounds within or near a field system of two enclosures.

The largest building (977) is rectangular (with rounded external corners). It measures 7.4m from N to S by 3.3m transversely within a battered rubble wall 0.9m in thickness and 1.3m in height. There is an entrance in the E side wall, and a later pen has been constructed in the SE corner. About 20m NNE there is a second similar building (988) at the junction of three dykes. This measures 5.2m from ENE to WSW by 2.6m transversely within a rubble wall 0.7m in thickness and 1.4m in height. There are at least two entrances, one in either side wall, and three later pens have been constructed in the interior. A third slightly smaller building stands 36m S of the first, and is built into the corner of an enclosure. The fourth building is 85m NNE of the first but has been reduced to footings only 0.2m in height.

Four huts which perhaps represent shieling activity, are situated to the N of the buildings, two within an enclosure (989, 990), and two to its W (987, 1141). The largest (990) measures 4.6m from ENE to WSW by 2.6m transversely within a stony bank spread to 1.2m in thickness and 0.2m in height. Five oval or circular mounds (probably deflated huts) are situated just 10m SE of the first building (972-6). The largest (972) is 6.5m in diameter and 0.4m in height. Another three or four mounds are in a group 85m NE of the first building (991).

While an enclosure around the largest building (977) shows little sign of cultivation, a larger enclosure to the N contains lazy bedding (feannagan) aligned from NE to SW and four clearance cairns. Two further enclosed plots of lazy bedding occur 180m N and 60m S of that building.

William Bald’s 1806 map of Eigg depicts a single enclosure at this location and two unroofed buildings (977-8) appear on the 1st edition of the OS 6 inch map (Inverness-shire (Skye) Sheet LXXI, 1879).

EIGG01 972-7, 987-92, 1141

Visited by RCAHMS (SDB) 23 April 2002

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