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MHG58600 - Building, Camas nan Ceann

Summary

Building, Camas nan Ceann

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Camas nan Ceann

A township, comprising two roofed buildings, one partially roofed long building and three unroofed buildings is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire 1876, sheet lxii), but it is not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1972).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 26 July 1996.

These sites were recorded by NOSAS in 2008/9 as part of an archaeological survey of outer Loch Hourn.

Camas nan Ceann was the Forestry Commission’s base during the felling and replanting of the Miolary oakwoods in the 1920s and 30s (English 2000, 280, 286). All of the timber was apparently taken off by sea from the fine and open, but surprisingly sheltered, pebble beach. The beach is about 200m long, with a small burn entering the sea towards the eastern end. It is backed by about 30m or so of level ground, before the ground rises steeply. To the west and east are vertical cliffs; these are particularly steep at the east end. From visits in 2000 and again in 2008, we knew that the place was overgrown with bracken and brambles, plus an additional hazard of waste conifers that had been dropped from above onto the ruins below as they were too small to be worth taking out. Access to Camas nan Ceann from the landward side is not easy, the old footpath shown on the OS 1st edition map (1872) having been destroyed during forestry operations.

The largest building (Site 1318; plate 7), is of industrial proportions, but appears to predate the Forestry Commission by some time as it is shown on the OS 1st edition map (1872), though only two thirds of it was roofed in 1872. Behind it, Site 1319 is also shown as roofed on the 1872 map.

Site 1318. Immediately to the E of Site 1317 and on the same alignment, is a long, rectangular building, with double faced, drystone walls, made up of a mixture of small stones and large boulders. The building has been divided into 2 compartments by a substantial double faced wall, which clearly post-dates the external walls. Internally, the building measures 15.3m in length to the centre of dividing wall, and 32.3m in total length and is 3.3m wide. The S wall of the W compartment has almost disappeared, but elsewhere the walls stand to 0.75m high and are 0.6m wide. Both the W and E ends of the structure are open and it may never have had gable ends, unless they were of timber. The front of the building is just 3m back from the shore. Like Site 1317, it is very ruinous and has been damaged by recent forestry operations. <1>

1st Edition OS 6" <2>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 AP’s <2>

Note; See MHG27223 for Township record

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 7945 1177 (32m by 16m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG71SE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	GLENELG

Finds (0)

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Related Investigations/Events (1)

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