Print

MHG31011 - Landing place, pier and possible quay, Fraoch Eilean

Summary

Landing place, pier and possible quay, Fraoch Eilean

Type and Period (3)

Protected Status

Full Description

Fraoch Eilean
This is the nearest named place on the OS map to a small area surveyed on the south shore, about 350m east of the Barrisdale moorings. The sites were recorded by NOSAS in 2002 as part of an archaeological survey of Inner Loch Hourn. It is most likely the site of a temporary fishing station. Although the site has naturally deteriorated since abandonment, it is 200m or so off the path to Barrisdale, and seems to be more or less as it was when abandoned.

There are no obvious buildings on it, but there is a small pier, with 3 berths for laying up small boats, evidence of quays, and a curious structure just above HWM alongside the top of the pier, which appears to be a naust. It however seems rather large for that and has a setting of 3 large retaining boulders across its mouth. To get a boat in there would have required a timber slipway. It might have been used as a repair dry dock, and the whole site might have been a boat repairers yard. The site is in a rather exposed position, and there has been considerable erosion of the landing area due to the sea.

The several platforms above the landing place have some structure to them, and this is the second site to be identified with a water channel or lead to divert fresh water from a small burn down to the platforms. If there were buildings on the site, then they were most probably of temporary timber construction.

Site: 187. A cleared boat landing place, with small pier alongside, and with a single cleared channel leading into three tying-up bays and the boat naust. The pier is of heavy stone and boulder construction, much wasted by storm damage, and most probably had a working quay on top of it originally. There also appears to be another collapsed quay between the first and second tying-up bays. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 APs <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 8784 0607 (10m by 11m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG80NE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	GLENELG

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (0)