Loch Urabhal

With the TV mast at Acha Mòr in square NB3030 in the distance.

Looking past Loch an Tobair to the mountains of North Harris.

Looking towards the Pentland Road Wind Farm.

Shielings were moorland summer grazings for cattle. Shieling huts (often also referred to as shielings) were dwellings located within the shieling. They were usually occupied from May until the “flitting” in September. In early May the men of a village would go onto the moor to check and repair the shieling huts. They would be joined by the women and children for one night before the men returned to the village to tend to crops or to travel away for summer work such as fishing. The women and children would spend the summer at the shielings tending the cattle and making cheese and butter, some of which was for immediate use but most was salted to preserve it for the winter. Peat cutting for fuel would also be done. Evenings would be spent making music and story telling. Visits were made between the shielings of different villages. The shieling huts were made from materials available in the immediate vicinity. They usually had walls made of stone or turf, turf roofs and compacted earth or clay floors. In coastal areas and on the islands rafters would be made from locally collected driftwood. Usually there would be a single doorway, facing away from the prevailing wind (although some shieling huts have two doors opposite each other), and often no windows. Furniture built into shieling huts included stone or turf beds covered with heather, turf seats and cupboards and niches built into the stone wall, often one above the door. Other furniture would be carried out onto the moor for the season. In places where the practice of using shielings continued into the 20th century, shieling huts can be found which are constructed making more extensive use of timber than in the traditional type, along with other materials such as tin and bitumen. There are also examples of buses and caravans used as shieling huts. The Clearances and ongoing changes in agricultural methods meant that the shieling tradition had generally ended by the close of the nineteenth century. In places it continued for longer and, particularly on Lewis, some shieling huts are still used today during the peat cutting season and as summer retreats. The remains of shieling huts can be seen as changes in vegetation: ND1340 : Shieling site by the Allt a' Cheracher ; shieling mounds where successive shieling huts have been built on the same site: NB5059 : Shieling mounds by the Abhainn Dhail, Isle of Lewis ; footings: NB5357 : Shieling footings beside the Feadan Mòr, Isle of Lewis ; and more substantial remains: NB3040 : Shieling above Gleann Leitir, Isle of Lewis . Examples of modern shielings are shown at: NB5458 : Shieling, Airigh A' Bhealaich, Isle of Lewis and NB5458 : Disused shieling, Airigh A' Bhealaich, Isle of Lewis .

Shielings were moorland summer grazings for cattle. Shieling huts (often also referred to as shielings) were dwellings located within the shieling. They were usually occupied from May until the “flitting” in September. In early May the men of a village would go onto the moor to check and repair the shieling huts. They would be joined by the women and children for one night before the men returned to the village to tend to crops or to travel away for summer work such as fishing. The women and children would spend the summer at the shielings tending the cattle and making cheese and butter, some of which was for immediate use but most was salted to preserve it for the winter. Peat cutting for fuel would also be done. Evenings would be spent making music and story telling. Visits were made between the shielings of different villages. The shieling huts were made from materials available in the immediate vicinity. They usually had walls made of stone or turf, turf roofs and compacted earth or clay floors. In coastal areas and on the islands rafters would be made from locally collected driftwood. Usually there would be a single doorway, facing away from the prevailing wind (although some shieling huts have two doors opposite each other), and often no windows. Furniture built into shieling huts included stone or turf beds covered with heather, turf seats and cupboards and niches built into the stone wall, often one above the door. Other furniture would be carried out onto the moor for the season. In places where the practice of using shielings continued into the 20th century, shieling huts can be found which are constructed making more extensive use of timber than in the traditional type, along with other materials such as tin and bitumen. There are also examples of buses and caravans used as shieling huts. The Clearances and ongoing changes in agricultural methods meant that the shieling tradition had generally ended by the close of the nineteenth century. In places it continued for longer and, particularly on Lewis, some shieling huts are still used today during the peat cutting season and as summer retreats. The remains of shieling huts can be seen as changes in vegetation: ND1340 : Shieling site by the Allt a' Cheracher ; shieling mounds where successive shieling huts have been built on the same site: NB5059 : Shieling mounds by the Abhainn Dhail, Isle of Lewis ; footings: NB5357 : Shieling footings beside the Feadan Mòr, Isle of Lewis ; and more substantial remains: NB3040 : Shieling above Gleann Leitir, Isle of Lewis . Examples of modern shielings are shown at: NB5458 : Shieling, Airigh A' Bhealaich, Isle of Lewis and NB5458 : Disused shieling, Airigh A' Bhealaich, Isle of Lewis .

Looking towards the transmitters on Èitseal.

Looking towards the Pentland Road wind farm.

Looking towards the transmitters on Èitseal.

The OS Name Book of 1848-1852 describes the Allt Ruadh as follows: "A considerable stream having its source near the base of Beinn nan Surrag and empties itself into NB3632 : Loch a' Chlachain. At this point there is a neat wooden bridge built over it. Allt Ruadh signifies Red Stream".

OS maps with a scale of 1:25,000 or larger show there to be three cairns on or near the top of Beinn nan Surrag. This one lies approximately 80m to the north of the highest point of the hill and is the only one of the three which is shown on the 1:50,000 map. The OS Name Book of 1848-1852 notes that a Surrag is a part of a corn drying kiln and it is presumed that some part of the hill must resemble one.

Beinn Mhaol Stacaiseal and Loch an Tobar in distance. Look closely and you can see Coastguard Rescue helicopter right of centre of frame.

Moorland loch, south of the Pentland Road.

The outflow from Loch Airigh nan Sloc.

The OS Name Book of 1848-1852 describes the loch as, "a small fresh water loch which is connected with Loch Airidh nan Sloch by a small stream. NB This may signify the Loch of the Journey". Airidh nan Sloch is spelled Airigh nan Sloc on current maps.

The OS Name Book of 1848-1852 describes the loch as, "a small fresh water loch which is connected with Loch Airidh nan Sloch by a small stream. NB This may signify the Loch of the Journey". Airidh nan Sloch is spelled Airigh nan Sloc on current maps.

The causeway links the southern shore of the loch to the island and is shown on the OS 1:25,000 map. The causeway is actually less complete than it appears in this photo: see NB2933 : Island in Loch nan Cnàmh, Isle of Lewis.

The rocks in the water formed a causeway to the island which is shown on the OS 1:25,000 map and is more apparent in the photo at NB2933 : Causeway in Loch nan Cnàmh, Isle of Lewis.