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North Uist, Loch Hacklett, Tigh Talamhant

Souterrain (Prehistoric)

Site Name North Uist, Loch Hacklett, Tigh Talamhant

Classification Souterrain (Prehistoric)

Canmore ID 10454

Site Number NF97SW 3

NGR NF 9490 7122

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/10454

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Western Isles
  • Parish North Uist
  • Former Region Western Isles Islands Area
  • Former District Western Isles
  • Former County Inverness-shire

Archaeology Notes

NF97SW 3 9490 7122.

(NF 9390 7122) Erd House (NR)

OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1904)

A curiously situated earth-house bearing some resemblance to a cave, in the base of the cliff on the steep west bank of Loch Hacklett (E Beveridge 1911). It is described by Carmichael (information contained in letter from A Carmichael to F W L Thomas): "The narrow part goes backwards and upwards from the lake, and at the end there is a large opening The small opening below is just large enough to admit a man to pass." He also noted that the passages were covered, one roofstone weighing about 4 tons. Over Tigh Talamhant, as the earth-house was known, were several feet of moss, and on this a few yards towards the foot of the cliff, was an old wall 3-4ft high, the remains of an old building over the earth-house.

F W L Thomas 1890; E Beveridge 1911.

The remains of this earth-house, which is immediately above the water line of Loch Hacklett are generally as shown on the plan, although the old wall mentioned appears to be the inner face of a chamber, 1.7m high, the roof of which has caved in. There appear to be three entrances, two of them leading directly from the edge of the loch into the N end of the passage, and one at the extreme S end below the massive roof-stone mentioned above.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (R D) 28 June 1965.

Activities

Field Visit (22 July 1914)

Earth-house, Tigh Talamhant, Loch Hacklett, Portain.

On a narrow shelf of land lying between the base of a precipice on the western side of Loch Hacklett and the edge of the loch is an earth-house, Tigh Talamhant, now the abode of otters. The structure, built of drystone walls surmounted by lintel stones, is considerably dilapidated, and can now be entered at a break in the roof towards the southern end and by a gap in the side about 14 feet from the northern end. As it stands at present the earth-house consists of a long narrow gallery, about 40 feet in length, with its ends, which, though now blocked with fallen stones, were probably entrances, looking out to the loch above water-level. From the northern extremity the gallery is carried towards the precipice in a curve trending west and south for about5 feet, whence it then follows a south-easterly course in a straight line almost parallel to the loch for a distance of some 12 feet, after which it recurves to the west towards the precipice for about 9 feet, where the large break in the roof about 5 feet long occurs. From this point there has possibly been an extension of the gallery towards the precipice, but this feature is obscured by fallen debris. The southern extension from this place towards the loch can be penetrated only for a length of about 9 feet, during which there is a dip in the gallery of about 3 ½ feet. At its best preserved part the gallery is about 2 ½ feet wide and from 2 ½ feet to 3 feet in height. About 5 ¼ feet from the present northern end is a break back on the west wall extending about 1 ½ feet, doubtless to accommodate a stone slab used as a door to block the passage. The earth-house occupies a very inaccessible position, the pathway from the top of the rock being steep and difficult, and is covered by a growth of several feet of moss and peat.

RCAHMS 1928, visited 22 July 1914.

North Uist xxxvi (Erd House).

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