Monument record MHG36119 - TORR NA SMISEIG

Created automatically by NMRS Register Utility
User: Admin, Date: Wed 13 Oct 2004
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NC13SW 26 centred on 1079 3268

A farmstead, comprising five buildings, three dykes and a clearance cairn, situated on a NE-facing slope, was recorded during a pre-afforestation survey of Drumbeg Common Grazings. The largest building (NMRS MS 899/188, no.1e), which lies to the S of the others, measures 11.5m from NE to SW by 5m over 0.6m wide walls of quarried stone. The walls still stand up to the wall-head, except for some collapse around the E corner. Both gables have chimneys and are largely intact. The door is in the centre of the NW wall and is flanked by a window on each side. A third window is in the SE wall opposite the entrance. Of the remaining buildings, three survive to, or near, their wall-heads whilst the fourth (NMRS MS 899/188, no.1a) is no more than an ill-defined footing. Three of the buildings (NMRS MS 899/188, nos.1a-1c) are clustered together at the N end of a dyke. One (NMRS MS 899/188, no.1c) has a partition creating two rooms both entered from the NE.
Two earth and stone dykes lie to the SE of the buildings. Each stands up to 0.6m in height and runs from a crag in the NE to crags to the SW of the buildings. A single clearance cairn, measuring 3m by 2m and standing up to 0.4m in height, lies to the NW of the buildings.
One roofed building (NMRS MS899/188, no1.c) is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1878, sheet xlviii) and named 'Torrnasmiseig' after the knoll to the SE. The four buildings, still largely upstanding, and the two dykes are depicted on the 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1906-7, sheets xlviii and lviii) suggesting that the settlement dates to the second half of the 19th century.
M Dalland and C Lowe (Headland Archaeology) 20 December 1999; NMRS MS 899/188, no.1

Awaiting DES 2000 entry (2000/189).