Monument record 2315 - VATERSAY

NL69SW 121 6486 9619

VN128 (NL 6483 9518) Two large blackhouses, each c13 x 8m, reduced to their foundations, with doors facing east into small bay.
K Branigan, P Foster and D Gilbertson, NMRS MS/595/11

(previously recorded as NL69NW 122)
VN129 (NL6485 9519) A D-shaped enclosure, the arc formed by an earth and stone bank, the straight side by the low sea cliff. Although erosion here is not severe it is possible that the enclosure once extended further north and may even have been more oval than D-shaped. However our impression is of a relatively recent monument, not yet badly degraded and therefore unlikely to have suffered such extensive erosion.
K Branigan, P Foster and D Gilbertson, NMRS MS/595/11

[The NGRs for the above two sites appear to have been mistakenly recorded as being 100m to the S of their actual location.]
A farmstead comprising four unroofed buildings is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Hebrides, Barra etc. 1880, sheet lxvi), but it is not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1971).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 18 June 1997

44. Uidh (VN129)
A D-shaped enclosure formed of an earth and stone bank, the straight side formed by the sea edge. Although erosion is not sever,e, the enclosure may once ahve extended further north and may even have been more oval than D-shaped.
Brannigan & Grattan 1998, 41
NB the NGR given in the above source places the site far out to sea, and the identification of this structure therefore follows the NMRS MML 14.11.2000

45. Uidh (VN128)
two thick-walled oblong buildings, each c. 13 x 8m, with doors in their south-east walls. Reduced to their foundations.
Brannigan & Grattan 1998, 41

VN128 (NL648952). Two large blackhouses, each c. 13 x 8 m, reduced to their foundations, with doors facing east into a small bay.
Brannigan and Foster 2000, 47
NB: This grid reference is wrong - it is rounded to six figures from the eight figure (misprinted) grid reference in the Coastal Survey of NL64839618 which puts it in the middle of the sea. RCB 18/04/03

VN129 (NL648952) A D-shaped enclosure , the arc formed by an earth and stone bank, the straight side by the low sea-cliff. Although erosion here is not severe it is possible that the enclosure once extended further north and may even have been more oval than D-shaped. However, our impression is of a relatively recent monument.
Brannigan and Foster 2000, 47
NB: This grid reference is also wrong - it is rounded to six figures from the eight figure (misprinted) grid reference in the Coastal survey of NL64859519 which puts it also in the middle of the sea. RCB 18/04/03

Keith Branigan & John Grattan, 1998, Coastal Assessment Survey Barra and Vatersay (Bibliographic reference). SWE41024.

Keith Branigan & Patrick Foster, 2000, From Barra to Berneray: Archaeological Survey and Excavation in the Southern Isles ... (Bibliographic reference). SWE41033.