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

  SM5938_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600011835)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises the well-preserved remains of a deserted township and two adjacent farmsteads which are situated in unimproved moorland on the cliff-bound SE coast of the Mull of Oa.

The monument falls into two areas which were, when occupied, associated and are connected by an old track. The larger area comprises the township of Lurabus and the farmstead of Torr an Dobhrain to the NE. Lurabus is probably the largest surviving and best preserved of the numerous townships in this area and is a good representative specimen of this category of settlement on Islay.

Twelve buildings are associated with enclosures of various sizes. There is clear evidence of cultivation to the S of the settlement and aerial photographs show traces of ploughing on the ground to the N. The buildings, which sometimes survive to their original heights, are rubble-built, gable-ended and mainly square-angled; many appear to have been bonded with clay rather than with lime mortar. Vestiges of earlier building foundations occur within the settlement.

One building may have originated as a cruck-framed byre-dwelling; others are dwellings with attached ancillary buildings and preserve remains of chimneyed fireplaces. The complex includes a corn-drying kiln. The buildings are linked by a network of paths, while the major tracks that skirt the S and E edges of the township are bounded by substantial dykes and have the appearance of hollow-ways.

Most of the remains appear to relate to the first half of the nineteenth century and were probably abandoned in the third quarter of the nineteenth century, but the place-name is Norse in origin and the lands of Lurabus have been on record since the later Middle Ages. To the S is a smaller area containing the remains of the farmstead of Tornamoine, which also comprises a group of well-preserved buildings

and enclosures.

The main area to be scheduled measures 750m from SW to NE by up to 250m, while the smaller area measures 110m from SE to NW by 90m; to include the settlements, associated agricultural remains and an area around in which further associated remains are likely to survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as the exceedingly well-preserved remains of inter-related farmsteads and a township which have the potential to provide information about the organisation and structure of rural society in post-medieval Scotland. Documentary sources contribute to an understanding of the later development of the site but also suggest, in combination with the place-name evidence, that settlement in this area is likely to have earlier origins.

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.