Print

MHG6268 - Shieling huts - W of Allt Na Pairte

Summary

Three shieling huts to the west of the Allt Na Pairte, Strath, Skye.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Three shieling huts to the west of the Allt Na Pairte, Strath, Skye.

Lying on the W bank of the Allt na Pairte, and close to the path to Boreraig, at a height of 136m OD are the remains of shielings. All the shielings are of stone construction, two being roughly circular and 5m in diameter, and the third of two-celled sub-rectangular plan, comprising a room aligned NE-SW (3m by 4m) with a door opening facing SE and with a second cell (measuring 3.5 by 2m) attached to the rear, access being through the first room. All lie amongst heavy heather undergrowth. Visited by C S, 3 April 1990. <1>

The features were visited and re-recorded by M Wildgoose during a walkover survey in 1999 in advance of a proposed woodland creation scheme. Lying only 20m to the west side of the Boreraig path, amongst heather overgrowth, at the foot of small cliff like outcrops, are the remains of 3 shielings. The northernmost, and best preserved of the group, is of stone construction and comprises two cells. The western cell is sub-rectangular in plan and measures 3m by 2.2m within walls 1.1m thick. Attached to the west side of and at right angles to the above is a smaller sub-rectangular cell which measures 2m by 1.3m within similar walls. A well preserved creep connects the two cells. Abutting the north side of the larger cell is a half circular turf platform. This may be the remains of a 1.5m diameter cell. Three metres to the southeast of the above is a raised, turf, platform which lies on a southwest to northeast alignment and measures 4m long by 3m wide overall. This may be the remains of a single cell turf shieling.
A further 19m to the southeast and very close to the path is a much disturbed stone shieling of rectangular plan which measures 3m by 2m overall. <2>

The features are not visible on available vertical aerial photography. The grid reference given by M Wildgoose (162440 817630) is c.60m to the south-southwest of that given in <1> (162450 817690) so given the margin of error seen with other sites in these two surveys their true location is likely to be somewhere bretween the two, so the GIS spatial data has been amended accordingly [IS-L 14/10/2025].

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 6244 1766 (35m by 35m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG61NW
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	STRATH

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (1)