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MHG66357 - House/byre - North Screapadal, Raasay

Summary

A drystone sub rectangular structure, lying on a north east to south west axis.

Type and Period (2)

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 8; House - Byre . Down the steep slope from Feature 3 and south from Feature 7, this feature is a drystone sub rectangular structure, lying on a north east to south west axis. It measures 14.7m by 3.9m internally, with walls 0.8m to 0.9m thick. About 3m from the south east gable, there is an entrance, 1.1m wide. The walls stand to a maximum 1.7m externally in the south east comer and an average of 1m internally in the north end. The north corner is revetted into the slope and the internal corners at this end are fairly square. In contrast the impressive south east end of the structure is rounded, externally and internally, well built with large basal stones and showing an attempt at coursing. The inner south east face has fallen in but neat walling shows in the south west corner. The north east corner and the long east wall of the building are of poor construction.

A tumbled internal division divides the structure in two with the northern section 7m in length. The dividing wall stands to 1.2m in height on the east side abutting the long wall. There has been an entrance in this wall, 0.7m wide, leading to the northern section but the western part of the wall is now tumbled. The ground level in the northern section is on average 0.75m higher than the southern part which shows a central drain, defined by stones on the western side and visible for some 2.0m. On the north west side of the building a gutter has been excavated to drain water away from the wall. In front of thestructure, 2m from the entrance is evidence of a shallow pit measuring 4m by 3m. This building has been a house/byre with the byre in the lower south end. With such contrasting building styles it may have been altered but there is no clear evidence of this in the long northern wall. <1>

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

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5800 4443 (11m by 18m) (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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