Monument record 12183 - LEWIS, LOCH BEAG A' CHOCAIR

NB33SW 3 3428 3460

What may be four unroofed shieling-huts are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Island of Lewis, Ross-shire 1852, sheet 19). One unroofed building which may be a shieling-hut is shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1990).
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 3431 3460
Loch Beag a' Chocair
Shieling group.
Full report lodged with the NMRS.
Sponsor: Dulas Ltd
J Hooper 2001
REPORT DATE: 17/06/2002

B015-016 NB33SW3 centred NB 3431 3460
Loch Beag a'Chocair, two widely spaced substantial stone-built shieling huts lying at the head of the loch. On the OS 1st ed map 91849-52), two roofed and one unroofed shieling hut, all annotated as 'ruins' are shown on the level ground at the east end of Loch Beag a'Chocair. A further roofed shieling hut immediately to the north of the loch is also present. All are shown on the OS 2nd ed map (1895) but only one building, which does not correlate with any of thos shown on the earlier maps, is depicted on the current edition within the area of the three southerly buildings. On the 1946 vertical air photographs, two huts on large mounds are clearly visible, corresponding to the building shown on the current map and the building to the north of the loch on the 1st & 2nd editions. The more northerly of the two structures is possibly still roofed. Just to the north-east of the loch, Is a lighter green area, presumably representing drier ground, which may be a further mounded structure.

B015 NB 34306 34562
A large rectangular drystone shieling hut, with evidence for an outer skin of turf and for mortar pointin internally. It measures c. 5m long by 3.5m broad and is oriented E-W. There is a single entrance towards the east end of the south wall. The walls themselves stand to c. 1.2m in height in places and are up to 1m thick. This building must equated to the one shown on the current edition of the OS map.
B016 NB 34331 34655
A shieling hut, built from stone and turf, located just to the north of the loch and probably corresponding to the hut shown in this position on the OS 1st edition map. It measures c. 4m long by 1.5m broad and is oriented N-S. There are traces of an internal division c. 1m north of the south gable. No entrance is visible.
Hooper 2000, 24

also listed in Hooper J 2001, 104

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

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