Scheduled Monument
Both a'Chlair Bhig,beehive shielingsSM5713
Status: Designated
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.
Summary
- Date Added
- 06/08/1993
- Type
- Secular: shieling
- Local Authority
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Parish
- Uig
- NGR
- NB 11627 14789
- Coordinates
- 111627, 914789
Description
The monument consists of a shieling site which may have been in use since early medieval times. The shieling supports a group of temporary residences and associated structures.
The shieling is situated on both banks of the River Chlair Bhig. There are nine circular corbelled chambers and a rectangular enclosure in various states of preservation. There are five on the W side of the stream. The stones from the most southerly beehive hut have been used to repair the intact pair of huts to the NW. This pair are contiguous but do not interconnect. Both have an entrance facing
the NE and each has a complete corbelled roof with a turf skin to stabilise the structure.
The interior measurements are about 2.4m NW-SE by 1.9m NE-SW. The northernmost hut is 1.9m high compared to 1.5m
for the other one. There are small niches built into the walls of the huts. The buildings are raised up on green mounds indicating the presence of several floor strata. The remaining two huts on the W bank are NW of those described and are interconnected. Only the lower courses remain. All of the group on the E side of the river are roofless.
There is an unusual arrangement where a circular hut is joined onto a rectangular enclosure. Large boulders have been utilised here; some appear to have been shaped. A crude wall ledge has been built along the NE river bank.
The area to be scheduled is rectangular and measures a maximum of 180m NW-SE by 90m NE-SW to include the whole shieling site as shown in red on the accompanying map.
Statement of National Importance
The monument is of national importance because it is a fine specimen of a shieling site containing rare examples of well preserved shieling dwellings. In addition it belongs to a large group of related structures built for temporary use. From the concentration of physical remains on the site, it appears to have experienced a long history of occupation, albeit seasonal. The shieling group is of value as it has the potential through archaeological investigation and analysis to provide evidence of value to research into medieval and later periods of history relating in particular to: landuse; agriculture; stock control; seasonal practices and the domestic lives of the crofting community.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
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.
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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).
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