Monument record 1630 - GOIRTEIN, BARRA

NL69NW 19 634 979

T119: The settlement of Goirtein lies, among numerous archaeological sites of various periods, at the top of a gentle W-facing slope above the small sandy bay into which flows the Allt a' Gortein. It comprises about nine houses, numerous stone walls, areas of lazy-bedding and other structures. The buildings of the settlement may be divided between 1-4 which comprise the latest phase of each cluster, and 5-9 which appear earlier; three outlying houses (NL69NW 15 and 22) are probably associated with the final phase.
Building 1 stands on its own between the other buildings and the rock outcrop that marks the top of the small rise on which the settlement is set; the separation (by 5m) of this building from the rest of the village and its slightly better state of preservation may indicate that it was the last to be abandoned. It is the largest building in the settlement, and measures 18.4 x 7.4m overall, including what may be a later annexe added to the SE end. It is also the only building to have two compartments, the main room (at the NW end) being 12m long and entered from the SW, and the smaller room (which accounts for the rest of the length) being entered from the NE. There are areas of lazy-bedding to the NE and S of the building, that to the NE being within a stone wall which abuts the NE side of the building.
Buildings 2 and 3 are situated to the N of (1) are form the latest phase of a cluster of buildings which also includes building (7) and an earlier platform. (2) measures 8.6 x 6.4m overall, the entrance facing NW. In an arrangement unique to this building, three large stones stand upright in a row (approximately N-S) as if to enclose an area immediately outside it. Building 3 (3m to the NE) measures 7.4 x 5.6m overall and has been entered from the NE. A short stretch of wall has been built across the building (apparently after its collapse) to cut off the NE end and create an animal pen.
Two earlier buildings can be identified, apparently built on a platform constructed (at an unknown date) to level the ground. The end of one of them can be seen underlying the SE end of (3); it is comparable in width but projects a further 3m to the SE. Another earlier building (7) underlies the NW end of (3) and adjoins the N corner of (2); this building has been no more than 11.6m long.
Immediately SW of (2) is an area of cleared ground measuring about 8 x 7m within a stone wall which butts against the SE wall of building 5. This latter building has been partially robbed-out at the NE (possibly to allow lazy-bed cultivation) but at least one possible partition can be identified within it, immediately W of the entrance, which faces SE. This building probably overlies building 8, which is situated immediately to the W and of which only the SE wall has not been robbed-out.
To the SW of (8) is another cluster of buildings which displays a clear sequence of construction. The earliest is building 9, of which only the NW end can be identified. This is overlain by building 6 which measures 11 x 7m; it is badly-collapsed but appears to incorporate the SE end of the SW wall of (9) as its NE wall. Building 4 measures 11.4 x 7.2m with its entrance to the SE; this building is clearly later than (8) but (9) cannot be related to (6) or (8).
To the N and W of the buildings is an area of clear ground bearing lazy-bed plantation enclosed by a (collapsed) stone wall. The comaparble area to the S is bounded by continuous orthostats (to the NW and SW), by rock outcrops (to the SE) and by building 1 (to the NE).
Up to four buildings in the main settlement may have been occupied contemporaneously shortly before abandonment (building 1 being possibly the last in use) together with up to three of the outlying buildings. The township was occupied up to about 1835.
K Branigan and C Merrony 1993; K Branigan 1995; K Branigan and P Foster 1995.

K and C Branigan and Merrony, 1993, 'The abandoned settlements of Crubisdale and Gortein', 195-7 fig. 6.7 (Bibliographic reference). SWE33324.

K. Brannigan & P. Foster, 1995, Barra: archaeological research on Ben Tangaval from the end of the Ice Age to the Crofting Commissio, 40 fig. 6.6 (Bibliographic reference). SWE33223.

K Branigan, 1995b, 'Human settlement on the Tangaval peninsula', 205-7 (Bibliographic reference). SWE33229.