31677: RUBHA NAN CARN, LEWIS – Shieling?

Summary:

SHIELING? (Undated)
SMOKE HOUSE? (Crofting – 1850 AD to 1950 AD)
SHED? (Crofting – 1850 AD to 1950 AD)
Possible shieling or smoking shed

Location:

NB 2866 1634

Full description:

NB21NE 6 2866 1634

(NB 2865 1633) Rudha nan Carn: A low round point with the ruins of a shieling. It derives its name from some large loose boulders on its margin.
Name Book 1854

An unroofed shieling-hut annotated as a Ruin is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross-shire, Island of Lewis 1854, sheet 37), but it is not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1974).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 9 July 1997

"Situated on the small headland of Rubha nan Each, on the north shore of Loch Seaforth Head, the remains of this bothie, listed by the RCHAMS, NMRS FESP project as a sheiling, measures 5 metres from north-west to south-east and 2 metres from south-west to north-east. Standing no more than 0.25 metres in height and constructed of stone the remains seem to be rectangular in form with a possible entrance in the north-eastern end of the eastern wall. This structure is unlikely to be a sheiling as its construction would indicate a sheiling of late pre-crofting or crofting period, times when a township or settlement was known to have existed less than 200 metres to the west. It is more likely to have been constructed either for tool storage or possibly for small-scale marine industry such as smoking or salting fish." (Brugess 2004, 62-63)

References:

Original Name Books of the Ordnance Survey, Name Books of the Ordnance Survey. Book No 108, p. 12
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.