Monument record MHG24483 - Crofting Township, Blarbuie

Thumbnail Photo of crofting township
Wester Ross Project - Cathy Dagg, 03/04
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Small area of croftlands with 2-3 scattered houses, some new building and some ruinous 19th century croft buildings.
Wester Ross Project - Cathy Dagg, 23/03/04
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NB91SE 4 9712 1417

Apart from roofed structures, Blarbuie crofting township comprises five buildings or huts, a series of crofts, and lazy-beds. The township is defined by a head-dyke of drystone on the landward side. The 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross and Cromarty 1881, sheet iB) depicts six unroofed buildings or huts, four roofed buildings, of which three are still occupied, and a head-dyke. Two of the unroofed structures could not be located, probably due to alterations to the public road to the S of Reiff (NB c.9667 1429).
Of the five buildings that were identified, four were small bothies and only one is big enough to have been a crofter's house (ACHIL94 94). The bothies are rectangular with a variety of round and squared corners, and range in size from 3.3m to 4.6m in length by between 1.5m and 2.3m in breadth within faced-rubble walls, 0.5m to 0.6m thick, standing between 0.8m and 1.4m high (ACHIL94 90, 92-3, 95). The bothy on the N edge of the townhip predates the head-dyke (ACHIL94 90). The larger building, of two compartments (ACHIL94 94), stands to gable height and measures 9.3m from E to W by 3.5m transversely within faced-rubble walls, 0.55m thick and 1.5m high, with entrances on the S and E. There is a byre-drain in E compartment and stone flagging in W compartment; it was lit by a window on the S, subsequently blocked, and another high in the W gable indicating a loft.
Lazy-beds are visible in several parts of the township within the head-dyke and also in one location outside it (centred on NB 9685 1395).
(ACHIL94 90, 92-5)
Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 8 August 1994

Site recorded during a survey of the intertidal zone and the coast edge (50m from the mean high tide mark) between the Rivers Ullapool and Culag.
Further details can be found in a report submitted to Historic Scotland.
NB 967 139 Rough shelter, peat cutting.
NB 966 142 Circular ?kelp kiln, lazy beds.
NB 966 142 Rectilinear structure, stone wall
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Glasgow University Archaeology Department.
A Long 1996