Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM10992_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013820)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a small circular building and an underground chamber, both probably of prehistoric origin although used at later periods. It may have been associated with unknown prehistoric ritual activities. The monument was scheduled in 2004, but there was an error in the location of the scheduled area depicted on the map; the present scheduling rectifies this.

The monument is almost hidden on a partly vegetated slope of large boulders, some of them house-sized, which have fallen from high cliffs to the W. A grassy platform of smaller stones forms a level area on which stands a roughly circular stone-built enclosure, 5.3m by 6.3m internally within walls up to 1.7m thick and 1.0m high. It is not apparent if this was a roofed structure or not. A narrow entrance on the NE is flanked by two larger stones in the outer wall face, and the grassy platform is widest at this point, extending 4m beyond the outer wall. In the SW part of the interior is a sunken entrance to an underground chamber which has been excavated among the boulders. There are no signs of a stone stairway down into this entrance, which is lined with drystone masonry, standing up to 4 courses high on the NW side, and gives access to a large, low space roofed almost entirely by a single huge block. This space measures approximately 5.7m from E-W and up to 2.2m across. The highest roof clearance is on the N side, at 1.4m, from which the roofing slab slopes down towards the SE. The narrow W end of the space has been walled off, and there are signs that the void continues beyond.

On the cliffs directly above the site a prominent rib of basaltic rock has the Gaelic name Sron na h-Iolaire - the eagle's ridge or beak - and would have provided an excellent marker for anyone approaching by sea. Although hidden, the site is not hard to locate once its existence is known.

The area to be scheduled is circular, 55m across and centred on the middle of the circular enclosure, to include the enclosure, the platform on which it stands, the underground chamber and an area around them in which evidence relating to their construction and use is likely to survive. The area is marked in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a possible prehistoric ritual site with no exact parallels. The combination of circular dwelling and part-natural cave is known elsewhere (notably at Usinish in South Uist), but there the circular structure is much larger and more apparently residential. The monument thus has the potential to provide important information about prehistoric ritual use of "hidden places", a loose theme which links souterrains and a variety of other underground structures of uncertain function.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.