MHG5301 - Settlement - Braigh Skulamus
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
Main area of settlement of the Skulamus township (see MHG64655)
(NG 660 218) Braigh Skulamus shown as a township in 1824 (Information from W Johnson's Map of Skye, 1824) nearly depopulated by 1901 (OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed.) totally deserted by 1955 (OS 1"map, 7th series)
This township, situated on terraces on a NE facing slope about 200' OD., comprises some 24 ruined houses and outbuildings, with yards and enclosures. No lazy beds were noted and this is probably an early 'improvements' township.
Visited by OS (C F W) 20 June 1961
The area was visited by ACFA in 1993 during a survey of an area from Broadford to The Ord: (previously recorded as NG62SE 25) NG 657 219 Deserted settlement. <1>
NG 648 223 - NG 662 215 As a follow-up to the survey undertaken by ACFA in the Broadford to Ord area, in 1995 a detailed field survey was undertaken by students in the 2nd year of the Glasgow University Certificate in Field Archaeology course, in the hinterland to the south of Harrapool and southwest of Skulamus. Over fifty rectangular to sub-rectangular buildings were recorded, varying in building material from turf to stone, together with associated small enclosures, field banks, rig cultivation and sheep-washes, indicative of pre- and post-clearance land use. <2>
Five unroofed buildings (centred on NG 657 220), a sheepfold and a field-system are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Isle of Skye 1881, sheet xlvi). Twenty-seven unroofed buildings, including a second grouping (centred on NG 660 218), the field-system, a sheep wash and a sheepfold are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1986).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 3 December 1996
Some of the buildings are shown on Stobie's map of 'Harrapool and the surrounding area' from 1766 . More buildings are shown on the Blackadder map of 1811 (both maps in Clan Donald Archives, Armadale and on the Am Baile website www.ambaile.org.uk. The township is also recorded on Johnson's map of Skye, 1824. The remains of the buildings can be seen from Google Earth photographs. <3>
The OS noted in 1961 that there were no lazy beds, however, vertical aerial photography shows many areas of cultivation, presumably at least in part lazy beds, around the buildings. <4>
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SHG290 Text/Publication/Article: ACFA. 1993. 'Broadford to Ord (Sleat & Strath parishes): survey', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1993, p.50-2. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 50-2.
- <2> SHG29933 Text/Publication/Article: Masters, L.. 1995. Harrapool and Braigh Skulamus (Strath parish) (Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1995, p.46). Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1995. 50-2. Hardcopy & Digital.
- <3> SHG25668 Collection/Project Archive: Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). 2012. Digital site gazetteer and archive for ARCH Community Timeline Project: Broadford. Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). Yes. Digital. Site 57.
- <4> SHG27491 Image/Photograph(s)/Aerial Photograph/Vertical: Get Mapping. 1999-2001. Get Mapping colour vertical aerial photography 1999-2001 (The Millennium Map).
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NG 6593 2178 (803m by 980m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NG62SE |
| Geographical Area | SKYE AND LOCHALSH |
| Civil Parish | STRATH |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/11579 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
Comments and Feedback
Do you have any more information about this record? Please feel free to comment with information and photographs, or ask any questions, using the "Disqus" tool below. Comments are moderated, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible.