Monument record MHG6113 - Boundary Dyke, Bay

There are several phases of township boundary, of which the final two phases are mapped on the 1810 estate map (SRO RHP 8726/4). For the purposes of the survey only that part to the E of the Bay River will be reviewed. The 1810 boundary ran up the Allt a'Chaim to the watershed, turned S towards Loch Vorvin, but branched near Dun an Iarla, from whence it ran in a straight line to the Allt Suardal. No such bank was traceable over Dun Iarla to the Allt Suardal, although there is a bank visible on aerial photographs running down the S bank of a tributary of the Allt Suardal from Loch Vorvin to the Allt Suardal at NG 3023 5494 (visible on RAF air photographs 58/RAF/4065 1961 No. 0254). The other boundary shown on the estate map followed the same line to the watershed, but continued to Loch Vorvin and thence to the head of the Allt nam Maighdean, down which it ran to the Bay River. This boundary was not traced on the ground, except along the Allt a'Chaim and the Allt nam Maighdean, where banks were observed.
Two other boundaries were traced within the area defined by these two boundaries, one of which may represent an earlier phase, but in the other case, a later phase, on the grounds of its straightness of line. This latter boundary runs N to S in a straight line from the Allt a'Chaim at NG 2787 5527 to the Allt an t-Sluic Mhoir at NG 2798 5370 at which point it turns a right angle and proceeds up to the watershed (NG 2892 5400). Of the earlier boundary the following sections were identified on the ground and plotted, although there were gaps in boggy ground:
1. Allt a'Chaim at NG 2764 5523 to Allt Mainnir nan Gobhar at NG 2781 5427.
2. Allt Mainnir nan Gobhar at NG 2752 5416 to Allt an t'Sluic Mhoir at NG 2788 5365.
3. Allt an t'Sluic Mhoir NG 2764 5353 to an unnamed burn at NG 2771 5338.
4. From the head of the same unnamed burn at NG 2812 5293 to Allt nam Maighdean at NG 2854 5231, with a branch from NG 2817 5286 also to the Allt nam Maighdean at NG 2813 5223.
The construction of the banks varies from earth and stone to what appear as cut ditches in the peat, a style of boundary described in a tack of 1769 (RC MacLeod 1929, Vol.II).
Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 20 November 1990.