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

  SM5353_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600011255)

Summary

Description

The monument consists of a group of beehive shieling huts.

These particular examples at Loch a'Sguair may be of considerable age although they may have been reused and repaired seasonally until the late 19th-century. Two huts are situated in a small valley sheltered between two outcrops. A third hut is located 70m to the SW of these

in a more exposed location. There is another hut to the N. One of the central pair remains intact. Its corbelled roof still has a covering of turf. The building has an exterior kerb or "fosgarlan", a word derived from the Norse "for skali" meaning a porch. This is an extension of the main wall which projects outwards in a horseshoe shape to shield the low entrance in the SE from the direct force of the wind. Overall the exterior diameter of the structure is about 7m. The interior is solidly constructed on the lower courses. The stones are large, well fitted and there are small storage niches at regular intervals at ground level. The floor is of earth. The upper levels appear to have been repaired. The interior diameter is c.2.4m and the height at the centre is 1.7m. The other three huts are of similar drystone construction but are less well preserved. They lack their corbelled roofs and protective turf skins.

The area to be scheduled is circular and has a maximum diameter of 130m to include the shieling group as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a good example of an early shieling site, preserving a group of corbelled dry-wall chambers. The structures are important in their own right as field monuments; in addition they have the potential to provide valuable information about the role within a crofting community of the seasonal movement of people and livestock, a practice which has since vanished; about local folklore and culture; and about land use and the economy.

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.