31614: LSFH 39.5 Loch Seaforth Head – DAM

Summary:

DAM (Undated)
FISH TRAP? (Undated)
Dam, possibly used as fish or shellfish trap

Location:

NB 29294 16345

Full description:

"Situated at the east end of Loch Seaforth Head, the remains of this stone dyke cross the loch from north-west to south-east for 120 metres. Heavily denuded they are only visible at low tide, are up to 3 metres wide and stand little over 0.5 metres tall. This dam is likely to have been built as part of a marine industry, either as a lobster wall to store trapped shellfish, or as a fish trap to gather fish as the tide dropped. These fish may well then have gone on to be processed in the marine industry structures (39.1, 39.2 and 39.3) located immediately to the west on the north shore of Loch Seaforth Head." "Situated on the north shore of Loch Seaforth Head, near its eastern end, the remains of this industry consist of 3 strucutres grouped closely together in the shore, all of which are unusual in shape and form and seem to have no relationship to a blackhouse settlement (39.1, 39.2, 39.3). In addition to this a stone dyke or dam (39.5) crosses the end of the loch forming a fish trap or lobsterwall, designed to gather fish or store trapped shellfish. It is likely that this group represents the remains of a fish processing industry." (Burgess 2004, 66 and 69-70)

References:

Chris Burgess, Northamptonshire Archaeology. 2004. Northamptonshire Archaeology Archaeological Survey and Evaluation of Eilean Chalium Chille and the Putative Site of the Seaforth Head Castle. Part No Loch Seaforth Head Gazeteer.

Acknowledgement:

Information provided by Western Isles Council Sites & Monuments Record, January 2006.