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MHG66355 - House - North Screapadal, Raasay

Summary

Originally this structure may have been a dwelling, but its last use was agricultural.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Two townships named North and South Screapadal are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Isle of Skye 1881, sheet xxiv) and on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1988).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 18 October 1996

(NG 581 443) North and South Screapadal: depopulated by 1877.
OS 6"map, Isle of Skye, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1877)

North Screapadal, a depopulated township, comprises some 17 ruined houses. There are 4 small ruined boat-houses on the seashore.
There are lazy-beds in the area especially upon the higher slopes to the west.
These townships were probably depopulated by Mr Rainy of Edinburgh, who bought the island of Raasay in 1846, sending large numbers of the inhabitants abroad, and to Rona (Information from Miss Nicholson, 'Eilean Tigh', Raasay and from Mr Macleod, shoemaker, Clachan, Raasay).
Visited by OS (A S P) 12 June 1961

Fifteen unroofed buildings and a head-dyke are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Isle of Skye 1881, sheet xxiv). Nineteen unroofed buildings and a head-dyke are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1988).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 18 October 1996

An Archaeological Survey of the townships of North & South Screapadal, with a survey of the surrounding area, on Raasay was undertaken by ACFA in 1998.

Feature 6; Early house. This feature is a very ruinous sub rectangular structure on the same level as Feature 7. It lies with its long axis along the slope, approximately north to south and measures 11.5m. By 4m internally. In general the walls are 0.8m thick. The west wall is revetted into the slope and now is tumbled but stands, in part, to 1.3m internally. The east wall is of two leaf construction on a well-built base, with five very large basal stones on the south east comer. The east wall has one entrance 0.8m wide and 1.5m from the south wall. In the north east comer is another entrance over 1m wide. The north end of the building has been much altered, with a wall 0.6m wide on top of large boulders, which may be the original gable. This wall stands to a height of 1.5m externally. There may have been a small internal enclosure against this wall, now filled with tumble forming a platform, 0.4m high. A row of stones 2.5m long is built at right angles to the west wall opposite the wide entrance. Outside the north west comer another small enclosure 1.5m by Im has been formed against the north wall leaving an entrance 0.7m. Its walls are 0.9m high and 0.7m thick.

Outside these main structures a small area 1.2m wide has been enclosed with a few large stones. Its east to west wall is in line with the bank (Feature 5). There is tumble in the south west comer which may well have come down from the ruined Feature 2 which is only 2m away at a higher level and built into the slope. Originally this structure may have been a dwelling, but its last use was agricultural. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2009 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5800 4446 (12m by 16m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG54SE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	PORTREE

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Related Investigations/Events (1)

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