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

  SM5237_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600011140)

Summary

Description

Tigh Talamhanta (which translates as "the house under the ground") consists of a large mound containing the remains of a late Iron Age farmstead of the type referred to as an aisled house, with an attached souterrain. The remains of combined barn and byre lie nearby, and both this structure and the aisled house itself are enclosed, together with just under one hectare of land, within a contemporary bank of stones and earth.

The site was excavated to high standards for the period in 1950-3, and since that date has fallen into disrepair, but sufficient of interest remains to justify the protection of this important site. The area to be scheduled is irregular in plan, bounded by a line running 5m outside the visible enclosure bank and defined on the SW, where the bank is missing, by the line of a small stream. It has a maximum N-S dimension of 120m and E-W of 100m, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

This monument is of national importance on several grounds. It is a good field example of a type of upland agricultural settlement typical of the later Iron Age in the Western Isles. It is the site of an important excavation, and although this excavation was conducted carefully for the date, much information could still be extracted by modern excavation, particularly as regards evidence of past agricultural practices and land-use in general.

Finally, it is an element in a larger landscape containing a variety of different later prehistoric settlement evidence, which taken together has great potential to enhance knowledge of the defensive and domestic architecture of this period, and of associated social and economic conditions.

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.