Monument record MHG42289 - Lazy Beds, Halistra

NG25NW 1.07 243 600.

Within the area of the farm of Halistra, the main surviving areas of ridged lazy-bed cultivation, generally 4m to 5m in width and up to 0.45m in height, lie to the E of the public road to Trumpan on the natural terraces above the fermtoun of Halistra (eg NG 251 597 to the N of the Geary road and NG 243 600 to the N of the fermtoun). Well preserved areas still survive within the crofts to the W of the road, notably at NG 235 598, where part of the lazy-bedding is enclosed within a later bank, measuring some 115m in length by 70m in breadth, and at NG 241 596. Other enclosures of more globular form, but of similar dimensions enclose parts of the ridged land in a swath some 400m in breadth from the unnamed burn on the NW side of the farm (NG 238 603) for 1200m to the SE (NG 249 602), but leaving a strip some 150m in breadth along the first terrace above the fermtoun almost free of enclosures. There is a series of enclosures on the W bank of the Allt na Claise Moire at NG 248 599 and NG 247 596, of which the former overlies lazy-bedding. Whilst there are grounds for attributing some of the enclosures to a late phase in the development of the cultivated ground, it is also apparent that some of the lazy-beds are built-up against the upslope side of them.
The scale of the field-banks, where well-preserved, at above 1m in height, might permit their use in stock control.
Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 1 October 1990.