Monument record 11470 - AIRIGH SGRIDHE, LEWIS

NB33NW 41 3405 3780

What may be six roofed shieling-huts are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Island of Lewis, Ross-shire 1852, sheet 19), but they are not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1972).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 24 September 1997.

An archaeological assessment was undertaken in advance of a potential windfarm development at Beinn Mholach and Arnish Moor. A total of 29 areas (over 100 individual sites) of archaeological remains were identified, most of which relate to post-medieval shieling practice, lazy bed cultivation, peat cutting, and to the 19th and 20th-century use of these upland areas. The proposed windfarm development involves two areas of peat moorland in the centre of Lewis. (GUARD 891).
NB 3405 3780
Airigh Sgridhe
Shieling group.
Full report lodged with the NMRS.
Sponsor: Dulas Ltd
J Hooper 2001
REPORT DATE: 17/06/2002

B085-096 NB 3405 3780

Airigh Sgridhe, two substantial shieling huts and a number of grassy mounds representing earlier huts. One hut has two probable gravestones adjacent.
On the OS 1st edition map (1849-52), six shieling huts are shown widely scattered over the lower, south-facing slopers of Beinn a'Sgridhe, some lying within a large area of cleared ground called Airidh Sgridhe. This site is simply described as a 'cluster of shealings' in the Name Book, but was obviously important enough for it to give its name to the surrounding area. On the 2nd edition map (1895), only the area of cleared ground is noted, although this too is absent from the current edition (1972) of the OS maps. The site is not visible on any of the vertical aerial photographs.

B085 NB 34031 37846
At the far west of the group is a much tumbled shieling hut, its walls surviving to a height of four courses. The hut measures 2.5m long by 2m wide and is aligned NNE-SSW. It has opposed entrances, positioned towards the south end of its long walls. The eastern entrance is blocked by a large upright slab, presumably a collapsed lintel. It has rounded internal angles, which reduce its rectangular form, particularly on the south-west side. The external walls have a pronounced batter. The large number of flat slabs utilised in its construction set this hut apart from the majority of other sheiling huts encountered in the survey. Most appear to form an inner skin for the wall. In the east wall are two cupboards, separated by a single course of stones. There is a suggestion of cupboards in each of the north and west walls, but both are too dilapidated to be certain.

B092 NB 34171 37716
Towards the eastern end of this shieling group is a rectangular hut, oriented roughly N-S, with a curved southern gable. It measures 2.35m long by 1.75m broad. The walls are very denuded in places and stand to a maximum of six courses in height (0.75m). The hut has opposed entrances and clear evidence for two small cupboards in the northern gable, with another on the north side of the west door.

B086 NB 34051 37850
B087 NB 33994 37815
B088 NB 34080 37813
B089 NB 34077 37798
B090 NB 34097 37776
B091 NB 34113 37753
B095 NB 34178 37799
B096 NB 34142 37780
Around the two better preserved huts at Airigh Sgridhe are eight distinct low mounds, all averaging about 8m in diameter and 0.5m high, and probably representing the sites of earlier shieling huts. They stand out from the surrounding heather moorland because of the nature of their vegetation cover (Grass/moss/reeds). B086 has very slight suggestions of turf banking (0.1m high) defining a N-S building roughly 4m x 2m on the summit of the knoll. Similarly an arc of banking, 0.5m wide and 0.2m high, survives around the north site of the moundd, B090. If this is the remnants of an early hut, it would suggest it had a width of c. 2.5m and was also oriented N-S.

B093 NB 34167 37705
B094 NB 34190 37723
To the south and north-east of the mound on which B092 is located, are two small upright square slabs, c. 0.4m high and 0.3m wide. In Lewis, slabs like these are often used as gravemarkers and, despite their small size, their promoinence suggests this might be the case here.
Hooper 2000, 19

Also listed in J Hooper 2001, 104

Janet Hooper, 2000, Lewis: Project 891 (Bibliographic reference). SWE41076.

Council for Scottish Archaeology, 2001, Discovery and Escavation in Scotland (Bibliographic reference). SWE41185.