Monument record 974 - Loch Sheilavaig

NF83NW 1 8425 3998.

(NF 8425 3998) Erd House (NR - 3 shown)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1904)

A ruined earth house is situated in a hollow at the head of a gully running south-west from, and about 150 yards from, Bagh a Tuath. It is at the foot of a rock face rising 30ft above it to the south. Only part of the southwestern arc of a circular earth house was seen in 1915. It was divided into compartments similar to the one at Usinish. (See NF83SW 2) A passage runs off NW towards a heap of stones 14' distant.
Extending north-east for some 50' there is a mound of tumbled stones containing the foundations of rude huts. These are covered in parts with about 10ins of kitchen midden refuse. (The report implies there is only one earth house, and this is the centre of a complex).
RCAHMS 1928.

The remains of this earthouse consist of a collapsed stone lined passage, 6.0m long x 1.0m wide, oriented NNW - SSE, with the remains of an entrance-chamber c 2.4m in diameter at its SSE end. Some 6.0m beyond the NNW end of the passage a large stone-filled hollow may indicate the position of the main chamber. This earthouse is similar to the earthouse at Lochnam Arm (NF82SW 1) To the north east of the earth-house is a bracken-covered mound of tumbled stones with the vague outlines of a few stone-walled structures, probably shielings. There appears to be only one earth house at this site, a large natural hole in a bank some 60.0m to the north east may have been mistaken by previous Authorities for the entrance to a second earthhouse .
Visited by OS (W D J) 12 May 1965.

The site is located in a natural hollow, is well hidden and was probably selected for this quality. Heavy bracken growth obscures the site currently. Site is much as described above, the souterrain has a portion of the lintel roof intact, with most of the rest the passage visible and partially flooded, approx 7m x 2m. Adjacent to the this site is a large mound of loose stone, roughly circular, 14m diameter. Probable roundhouse which shows evidence for being repurposed for sheilings at a later date. This feature is likely to be well preserved beneath the upper layer of disturbance. The large hole to the northeast of the hollow is a natural subterranean water channel through the peat, that issues near the bay. Both features are in overall good preservation.
K.Murphy (Archaeology Service CnES) 11/03/2025

RCAHMS, 1928, The RCAHMCS 9th Report & Inventory: Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles, 115-16 (Bibliographic reference). SWE5587.