Landscape record 7649 - Balelone township old fields

...encompassess all the dykes and enclosures in the WGS area with the exception of those associated with Griminish and Solpaig. As such, these dykes are interpreted as a series of march-dykes, head-dykes and enslosures associated with the township of Balelone to the south-west.
The dykes, up to 2.5m wide and 1m ghigh, are typically formed of turf, stripped from an adjacent 'corridor'. Occasional stone i also present. A particularly good example of a 'stripping corridor' is visible in the eastern extension of the Balelone march-dyke, from NF 7439 7421 eastwards.
Extensive remains of ridge-and-furrow cultivation are present throughout the western end of the survey area. The rigs are typically 4 to 5m apart, centre-to-centre, and stand up to 0.3m high.
Lowe & Dalland 1998, 7 (site 8)

What Lowe and Dalland identify as rig-and-furrow are, in fact, feannagen. MML 15.1.99

DES 1999: NF 740744 (centre) A short-notice pre-afforestation survey was undertaken of 180ha of land in NW North Uist, to the SW of Loch Olabhat. Fourteen groups of features of archaeological interest were recorded during the survey. All the identified sites, including a range of rectilinear and curvilinear structures, are probably of medieval or later date, relating to both arable and pastoral exploitation of the hillside. The various dyke complexes are probably associated with the townships of Griminish and Scolpaig to the N and Balelone to the SW.
A full report has been lodged with the NMRS.
Sponsor: HS
Lowe, C 1999, 90

Christopher Lowe & Magnar Dalland, 1998, Pre-afforestation survey: Beinn Riabhach, North Uist (Unpublished document). SWE41001.

Council for Scottish Archaeology, 1999, Discovery and Excavation iin Scotland (Bibliographic reference). SWE41183.