MHG64735 - Pre-crofting township - Boreraig
Summary
The pre-crofting township of Boreraig, Skye.
Type and Period (1)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
The pre-crofting township of Boreraig, Skye. It includes areas of rig cultivation, grazing and peat cuttings all within a large area, in part dyked and in part bounded by natural features like watercourses.
In the 1760s Sir James Macdonald, the chief of Clan Macdonald, commissioned a surveyor, Matthew Stobie, to produce a map of his whole estate at Strath. Over two years, Stobie produced five area maps. Stobie shows the boundaries of each township, the area of cultivated ground and also buildings. The runrig system of farming by a group of joint tenants was the norm at this date and the pattern of the areas of cultivated ground show this very well. A number of areas of settlement and/or farmsteads are shown. <1>
The boundaries of the original township can still be approximately traced in modern vertical aerial photography and these include both dykes and watercourses, as can several areas of settlement and cultivation some of which have been left relatively undisturbed. These can be compared very easily with Stobie's 1766 map, which shows how accurate a survey it was. <2> <3>
Sources/Archives (3)
- <1> SHG29930 Image/Map: Stobie, M.. 1766. Macdonald Estate Maps (Sleat, Stath, Skye). Unaffiliated. Paper (Original). XY
- <2> SHG28725 Image/Photograph(s)/Aerial Photograph/Vertical: Get Mapping. 2020. Getmapping aerial photography 2020. XY
- <3> SHG29455 Image/Photograph(s)/Aerial Photograph/Vertical: Get Mapping. 2023. Getmapping aerial photography 2023.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NG 6108 1716 (5084m by 3245m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NG61NW |
| Geographical Area | SKYE AND LOCHALSH |
| Civil Parish | STRATH |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (2)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (0)
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