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MHG57914 - Mill, mill pond, lade and buildings, Skiary

Summary

Mill, mill pond, lade and buildings, Skiary

Type and Period (4)

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Full Description

Skiary
These sites were recorded by NOSAS in 2004 as part of an archaeological survey of Inner Loch Hourn. This a substantial crofting settlement as seen today, on the exposed outwash fan of a river, the Allt Coire Mhicrail, where most of the numerous houses and other buildings have long since been deserted. Skiary remains a home today with one occupied dwelling house and ancillary buildings. Some 85 sites were identified and recorded here.

The shoreline structures are particularly numerous and complex, reflecting the importance of Skiary during the hay-days of the herring fishing period and warrant a more detailed survey at some time. The river at Skiary is very destructive when in spate and it breaks out of its main channel spreading rock and stone debris over a wide area. It has taken away several bridges and buildings in the past and there have been numerous attempts to contain it. The land today is divided up into small fields, plots and enclosures with dozens of clearance cairns everywhere. There is very little evidence of lazy bed cultivation and it is presumed that any lazy beds on the lower ground have long since been levelled out by later plot working. Several such plots are well defined by shallow ditches.

The shore line at Skiary shows signs of much development, evidence of the fact that it was an important port and victualling station for the herring buses of the 18th and early 19th centuries, and due to their complexity would warrant a plane-table survey. (Note; NOSAS undertook this survey of Skiary waterfront in 2006 - see p. 39)

Site 505. A possible small mill pond, dry today, c 7.0m x 3.7m internally, with a small lade leading into it from the river via a sluice, and from the pond to the possible mill site, site 506, via a weir. The depth of the pond at its deepest today is 0.6m, and the drop from the pond to the mill site is c 2m. The bank of the pond is dug into the slope on the topside and is built up on the downside.

Site 506. The footings of a possible small mill site with lade, beside the W wall of site 507.

Site 507. A mortared stone gable with fireplace. There is one low side wall abutting on the W side but it is not of the same period as the gable. There are no visible walls on the other 2 sides of the space for a whole building, which would be 3.95m x 3.36 m internally, if it existed.

Site 508. The substantial upstanding remains of an agricultural or fishing related building, rectangular in shape, 11.16m x 4.90m, with regular mortared coursework. There are 2 windows and 2 doors, with rafter slots at the wall heads.

Site 509. The substantial remains of a building, 5.9m x 2.77m externally. The walls stand to a height of 1.77m. Former use of building unclear. It lies close to the river and may have been damaged by flooding.

Site 514. The upstanding remains of a house, 9.3m x 4.7m, walls standing from 1.0m to 1.4m in ht., with 3 rounded corners. The E wall has been re-built and a lean-to shed built on. The N wall has been partially removed in order to insert a modern timber building.

Site 519. On the W side of the ruined pier recorded as site 510 are the substantial footings of a rect building or platform, c5m NE/SW x 4m overall, made of large boulders and/or faced blocks. <1>

1st Edition OS 6" <2>

A report on the 2006 Archaeological Survey of Loch Hourn <3>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 APs <4>

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 9273 0713 (56m by 42m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG90NW
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	GLENELG

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Related Investigations/Events (1)

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