Print

MHG24483 - Crofting Township, Blarbuie

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Thumbnail Photo of crofting township
Wester Ross Project - Cathy Dagg, 03/04
------
Small area of croftlands with 2-3 scattered houses, some new building and some ruinous 19th century croft buildings.
Wester Ross Project - Cathy Dagg, 23/03/04
------
NB91SE 4 9712 1417

Apart from roofed structures, Blarbuie crofting township comprises five buildings or huts, a series of crofts, and lazy-beds. The township is defined by a head-dyke of drystone on the landward side. The 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross and Cromarty 1881, sheet iB) depicts six unroofed buildings or huts, four roofed buildings, of which three are still occupied, and a head-dyke. Two of the unroofed structures could not be located, probably due to alterations to the public road to the S of Reiff (NB c.9667 1429).
Of the five buildings that were identified, four were small bothies and only one is big enough to have been a crofter's house (ACHIL94 94). The bothies are rectangular with a variety of round and squared corners, and range in size from 3.3m to 4.6m in length by between 1.5m and 2.3m in breadth within faced-rubble walls, 0.5m to 0.6m thick, standing between 0.8m and 1.4m high (ACHIL94 90, 92-3, 95). The bothy on the N edge of the townhip predates the head-dyke (ACHIL94 90). The larger building, of two compartments (ACHIL94 94), stands to gable height and measures 9.3m from E to W by 3.5m transversely within faced-rubble walls, 0.55m thick and 1.5m high, with entrances on the S and E. There is a byre-drain in E compartment and stone flagging in W compartment; it was lit by a window on the S, subsequently blocked, and another high in the W gable indicating a loft.
Lazy-beds are visible in several parts of the township within the head-dyke and also in one location outside it (centred on NB 9685 1395).
(ACHIL94 90, 92-5)
Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 8 August 1994

Site recorded during a survey of the intertidal zone and the coast edge (50m from the mean high tide mark) between the Rivers Ullapool and Culag.
Further details can be found in a report submitted to Historic Scotland.
NB 967 139 Rough shelter, peat cutting.
NB 966 142 Circular ?kelp kiln, lazy beds.
NB 966 142 Rectilinear structure, stone wall
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Glasgow University Archaeology Department.
A Long 1996

Sources/Archives (1)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NB 9711 1417 (140m by 140m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NB91SE
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	LOCHBROOM

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (1)