EHG3778 - Basic photographic Survey - Bealach na Gaoithe, Arisaig and Moidart

J and K Bowker carried out a basic photographic survey in 2006 of a number of ruined buildings in what may have been a shelling community at Bealach na Gaoithe, Glenuig, Moidart, in an area around NM 684 764. Glenuig itself is on the shore of Loch Ailort, Moidart. The ruins are around Loch Bealach na Gaoithe, at an altitude of about 200m. The bealach’s name aptly translates as ‘The Windy Pass’ – these buildings are mostly in a very windy gorge and doubtless this would help keep the midges away in summer. There was no knowledge of any settlement here, or its name, and no buildings are shown on the 1876 OS map. The current 1:25000 OS map showed nine buildings. Sixteen were identified by this survey, all except one ruinous, ranging from gable-ended constructions, through circular ruins, to very basic rock shelters. The more substantial buildings were closer to the shore of the lochan than the rougher ones – the very basic shelters were amongst fallen rocks in the windiest part of the pass. The most notable was a storehouse of some kind (number 8), which had a complete slab roof and a cover at the doorway. Buildings were not measured, a walking pole and a human figure give the photographs scale. Two further features are included. Number 17 (two images) is a long and sometimes exposed wall which follows the Allt na Cairn Mhor, to the north-east of Glenuig, and number 18 (four images) are of a substantial ruin just off the old Lochailort to Glenuig post track, near Glenuig. <1>