Monument record 988 - SCALAVAT 3, USINISH, SOUTH UIST

NF83SW 5 8437 3326.

Capt. Thomas described in 1867 a Pictish House to which a subterranean gallery and chamber was attached. It lay about 1/2 mile inland from Moll a Deas which is about 1 1/2 miles south of Husinish. It was called Meall na Uamh, or Cave Lump. From a partly excavated oval chamber (a) with fallen domed roof 14ft by 7ft and with two wall niches, led low curved passage (b) about 2 1/2ft square and 20ft long, to an elongated beehive chamber (c) 13ft by 5ft and 6 3/4ft high. On its right wall was another cell, (e) 5ft in diameter and 5ft high, entered by a doorway (d) 2ft square. The main passage inclined downwards so that the second chamber (c) was nearly 3ft lower than that of the first (a): and that of the inner one (e) a foot below the second (c). The plans and description were made by Colin MacVean, one of Capt. Otter's party of Surveyors .
F W L Thomas 1870.

The above structure is identified by the OS Archaeology officer field investigator with the remains of a circular building noted by the RCAHMS some 30 yards ENE of "Uamh Iosal " (NF83SW 2) and rather lower down the hill than a considerable number of ruined shielings. Only the inner face of the nother arc of its wall survives but it seems to have been some 20ft in diameter internally. The construction of the wall is good, and its stones large, suggesting an earlier date for the building than the ruined shielings which are built in and around it.
RCAHMS 1928.

The earth house shown on F W L Thomas' plan is at NF 8437 3326. It has been severely mutilated by its conversion into shielings; other sheilings have been constructed nearby using stones from the earth house.
Visited by OS (R D) 16 May 1965.

Doubt is cast upon the identification of this earth house with that recorded by F W L Thomas, as he mentions only two earth houses in this vicinity and is one of the authorities for both Uamh Iosal (NF83SW 2) and Uamh Ghrantaich (NF83SW 6)
Name Book 1876.

F W L Thomas, 1866-8, Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 164-5 illust. (Bibliographic reference). SWE7733.

RCAHMS, 1928, The RCAHMCS 9th Report & Inventory: Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles, 117, Nos. 395 and 396 (Bibliographic reference). SWE5587.

Name Book (County), 1998, Name Books of the Ordnance Survey, Book No. 13, 51 (Unpublished document). SWE4254.