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MHG66551 - Cruck house - Inver (Inbhire), Raasay

Summary

A well constructed house stands mostly to its original height.

Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

A township comprising nine unroofed buildings, one of which is a long building, an enclosure and a length of wall is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Isle of Skye 1879, sheet xxx). Six unroofed buildings are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1988).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 4 November 1996

The survey of Balachuirn, Balmeanach, Brae, Inbhire (Inver on OS 1:10,000 map) and the surrounding area was carried out by ACFA in April 1996 as part of a continuing programme of recording the physical remains of human activity on the island of Raasay.

Inver Part 3; On a steep heather and birch scrub covered slope, on the west side of the Allt a Bhraghad four structures and an enclosure stand on different levels on small patches of less steep ground. These structures have been exceptionally well built of dry stone walling, with two standing almost to the original height. The construction is of large basal stones chosen to form a good foundation on sloping ground. There is evidence of coursing above these very large boulders. The walls are double skinned with rubble fill and the inner skin is constructed of smaller stones than those outside. They have no windows and all the doors face towards the river.

Feature 14 . House. 30 m south of feature 12, on a higher level, a similarly well constructed house stands mostly to its original height. As with feature 12, its south end is narrower than the north end and its gables are rounded. Again very large basal stones have been chosen to form a plinth around the northern half of the building. One stone with stepped appearance has been incorporated into the plinth and its upper part forms the lower part of the wall. There is a substantial batter on the north wall. The wall is of double skin construction with rubble infill. Above the large base stones there is evidence of an attempt at coursing. Internally it measures 5.6 m in length and 2.4 m at the south gable and 2.8 m at the north gable. The walls are 0.8 m wide at the top and 1 m wide at the base, as is shown at its collapsed entrance which is 1.0 m wide in the centre of the east wall.

The only features internally are the cruck slots, centrally placed on opposing gables and 0.4 m from three of the comers on the long walls. These average 0.15 m wide and vary in height above ground level from 0.8 m to 1 m. The maximum wall height is 13 m in the south west comer. While there is slight evidence of a platform outside the entrance, the ground now falls away steeply, making it impossible to walk easily around this house.

These four structures show an outstanding quality of building. The beautifully rounded corners, the narrower southern ends, the well chosen basal stones, forming plinths, necessary for stability at the northern ends all indicate construction of a high standard. The gables standing to the same height as the side walls and the presence of cruck slots in no's 12 and 14 indicate that the roofs were hipped. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5506 4213 (7m by 9m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG54SE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	PORTREE

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