Four Unidentified Structures - 2

Faced with the mystery of the four structures (see earlier post here), a second expedition was mounted to inspect the site and, perhaps, come up with some possible solutions. Members are here seen climbing the slopes of Druim na Gearr Leacainn. Shortly afterwards we stopped to watch an eagle soar across the Sound of Mull.

This is a view of the valley in which the structures stand, taken from the southeast, with Beinn nan Ord rising to the left. The stream, the Allt Garbh dhalach, hidden in the middle ground, flows away northwestwards on its way to Loch Grigadale. One of the structures, the first one found, lies in the area of grassy land in the small valley towards the top right of the picture.

This picture looks straight down on the fourth structure, with the gap where an entrance might have been clearly visible.

Being a much better equipped expedition, we were able to deploy the latest technology: here a GPS machine gives an exact grid reference, NM4481664478.

The general opinion was that these structures might be one of three things. They might, as suggested before, be small sheiling huts used as accommodation by people herding cattle during the summer months. Such structures are common on Rhum, and may be pre-Clearance.

They might have had a much more temporary use, by people herding cattle during the daytime, when they would have been used as shelters from the weather. Finally, they might have been small enclosures where a ewe which has just lambed might be placed until the lamb is strong enough to venture out. As such, these structure would have been introduced by lowland shepherds brought up at the time of the Clearances - though these enclosures are usually rather larger.

Two more of the structures were found higher on the valley slope, much closer together, away to the northeast but in full view of the other four. These suggested the following solution.

These two are the sheiling huts of a mother and father. Their argumentative offspring were housed in the other four, well away from Mum and Dad, and sufficiently far apart for the children not to fight.

Comments and suggestions following yesterday's post are much appreciated.