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MHG11289 - Shieling Settlement - Doire Beathaig

Summary

Small circular sheilings occupy a terrace on southeast facing slope overlooking a small burn.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

NC12NW 4 148 257.

Four shieling footings, one rectangular, 6.5m by 4m, the others circular, 2.5m across on average, in bracken-clad pasture marked by occasional rickles of cleared stones.
Surveyed at 1:10,000.
Visited by OS (JM) 15 July 1980.

A rapid walk-over survey was conducted over an area affected by the proposed Woodland Grant Scheme at Little Assynt by C. Dagg in 1999.

Site no. 26. Centred on NC 1492 2580 Possible shieling area. Over the whole area of the saddle are scattered approximately 8 storage structures and some clearance cairns. Two prominent structures are adjacent oval buildings, measuring 4.3m by 2.5m and 2.7m by 1.5m, aligned E-W. These are possibly shieling huts. A short section of low stone dyke curves around the NE of this area. <1>

Surveyed by the Assynt's Hidden Lives project in December 2009.
Small circular sheilings occupy a terrace on SE facing slope overlooking a small burn. Unenclosed grazings are also visible around this area.
Structure A is sub-circular in plan, and measures 6m by 4m and 0.8-1.2m high. The structure seems to have been remodelled to form a single smaller shelter aligned N/S. The construction is of dry stone rubble, and the walls are 0.75m wide.
Structure B is 2.2m in diameter and is of crude dry stone construction. The walls are 0.6m wide and 0.4m high. Sheep enclosures are associated, consisting of a series of five drystone compartments. <2>

Surveyed and reported on by Historic Assynt. Doire Beathaig shieling comprises the remains of two oval shieling huts (A1 and A2) both of which have been subsequently modified to create animal pens. They lie on a ridge with a south facing slope below it won which there are another nine pens and some overgrown mounds which might be clearance cairns. Pens A6 and A7 lie in a hollow which may have had a dyke around it, but there is not enough evidence to be sure. At the bottom of the slope below pens A8 – A11 is a short stretch of dyke (A12). These remains suggest the abandonment of the site as a shieling after the clearance of the settlement and its later development as a lambing area, though there are no surviving signs of enclosure walls or fences. <3>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 vertical aerial photographs. <4>

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 1492 2579 (202m by 153m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC12NW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	ASSYNT

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (3)

External Links (1)