31992: ECC 33.12 Cromore, Meal a’ Charnan

Summary:

BLACK HOUSE (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
HOUSE (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
COW HOUSE (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
LONGHOUSE (Post Medieval – 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Blackhouse

Location:

NB 4029 2129

Full description:

"Situated on the high ground to the east of Cromore and to the south of Meal a’ Charnan, the well preserved remains of this house measure 8 x 4 metres and are orientated from south-west to north-east. Standing to more than 1 metre high the walls are constructed of stone faces with earth cores and breached by a single entrance located 1 metre from the south-west end of the south-east facing wall. No internal features can be defined that would help in defining the internal division of space within the structure. It is constructed on a very slight slope that dips from south-west to north-east along the length of the building, suggesting that if it was ever occupied as a house the dwelling was at the south-west end and the byre was at the north-east end. If this was the case, however, it would suggest that the current entrance is a later feature as it would open directly into the dwelling – unheard of in blackhouse construction. The width of the entrance supports this, as does the general state of the south-easterly wall which seems to have been poorly constructed compared to the rest of the building. This suggests that the building has been re-used after its abandonment as a house, for stock control or storage." (Burgess 2004, 117)

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.