Monument record 6022 - Cnoc Sornain, Benbecula

multi-period settlement mound, severely eroding, in the centre of Baile Manaich. MML 2.7.99

Robert Tye reports that a service trench has recently been cut through the edge of a large sandhill between the road and the shore. Its backfill shows that the trench has been cut through midden deposits, containing dense dark redeposited lumps of occupation material, and large quantities of animal bone, with some winkles, limpets, oyster and scallop, and some 19th century material. Three sherds were collected from the surface of the trench, two plain, and one with applied cordon decoration of IA date. Traces of occupation deposits can be observed upslope from the trench, suggesting depth of midden levels in excess of 2m.

Robert Tye comments that this site is near Cnoc Feannaig where, according to oral tradition, St Torranan reputedly built his first chapel before moving to Teampull Chaluim Chille (Ray Burnett, Benbecula, p.18 (1986)).
C. Knott, 20.6.2001

Cnoc Sornain, a multi-period settlement mound on the north-western periphery of Balivanich at NGR NF 77592 55390. This large, sub-circular, grassed-over mound mneasured approximately 100m across, rising abruptly northwards from the roadside and bounded to the northeast by Benbecula Airport. It was severely truncated by erosion from the sea on its northwestern edge, where a steep sand-cliff some 2-3m high had formed facing a narrow sandy beach. Large deposits of shell midden with some large mammal bones and occasional shattered (possibly heat-shattered, perhaps from use as pot-boilers) stones were clearly apparent both in the cliff face and spread about the beach surface. On the southern slope of the mound, a number of low, grassy banks were visible.
Fyles 2006, 2-3

Chris Fyles, SUAT Ltd, 2006, Archaeological Walkover Survey, AIRD, Benbecula (Unpublished document). SWE41084.