Monument record 8699 - L16 LOCH OBE

L16 (NF697007) A difficult site to interpret due to heavy heather cover. A round or slightly oval knoll or mound has a series of large stone blocks embedded in it around its circumference and near its base. On top there is an oblong or oval depression with some stone blocks embedded within it and traces of horizontally bedded stone around the edge of the knoll or mound's flat summit. We interpret the remains on the top of the knoll or mound as the ruins of an oval house, 10 x 7.5 m overall, with a wall about 0.8 m wide. We are uncertain whether this structure stands on a natural knoll or a man-made mound or cairn with a kerb around it. This cairn would be almost 15 m in daimeter. On balance we reject the kerbed cairn hypothesis. Kerbed cairns are rare on Barra, and those so far discovered are small structures (up to 8 m diam.). Even on Vatersay, where there are many kerbed cairns, we know of none as large as this site. Finally, the configuration of the knoll itself, and what we can see of its character beneath the heather, suggests it is natural rather than a man-made cairn. It is possible that the stone blocks embedded at various points around the circumference are, nevertheless, traces of a deliberate structureal feature. possibly associated with the house on the summit. We believe the house is probably of Iron Age date; a recent shelter of type C built of stone robbed from the summit structure stands to the east.
Branigan and Foster 2000, 18

[NB 6 fig. grid ref. only, so inaccurate. CSB 21/03/01].

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