Airigh A 'Sguir

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Airigh on Lewis

Airigh A 'Sguir on the Hebridean island of Lewis in Scotland is a group of disturbed "Beehive Shielings" ( Scottish Gaelic Àirigh; also spelt sheiling, shealing or sheeling - German beehive huts ). Shielings are small stone huts, covered with sod or peat, in the parlance of the islands, which were seasonally used by shepherds who tended animals on highland pastures.

The igloo-like cantilevered drywall structures at Loch a'Sguair may be very old, although they were used and repaired until the late 19th century.

Two of the huts are in a small valley that is protected between two rocky outcrops. A third hut is located 70 m southwest of it in a more exposed position. There are other huts in the north. One of the two central huts is intact. The roof is still covered with turf. The building has an outer curb or "Fosgarlan", a word derived from the Nordic "for Skali", meaning porch. This is a wall extension that protrudes in a horseshoe shape to protect the only 0.45 m wide and 0.6 m high entrance in the southeast from direct winds. The outer diameter of the structure is approximately 7.0 m. The interior is solidly built. The stones are large, well fitted and there are niches near the floor at regular intervals. The largest 0.8 m wide, 0.55 m high and 0.6 m deep. The ground is made of earth. The upper levels appear to have been repaired. The inner diameter is about 2.4 m and the height in the middle is 1.7 m, the walls are 0.7 m thick. The other huts have a similar dry stone construction, but are less well preserved. They lack the cantilever roofs and the protective lawn cover.

See also

literature

  • Frederick WL Thomas: Notice of Beehive Houses in Harris and Lewis; with Traditions of the "each-uisge", or water-horse, connected therewith. In: Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Vol. 3, 1857/1859, ISSN 0081-1564, pp. 127-144.
  • WM Mackenzie: Notes on certain structures of archaic type in the Island of Lewis - beehive houses, duns and stone circles', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, Vol. 38, 1903-4.
  • Gerhard Rohlfs : Primitive domed buildings in Europe (= Bavarian Academy of Sciences, Philosophical-Historical Class. Treatises. NF 43, ISSN  0005-710X ). Publishing house of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, Munich 1957.
  • Jürgen E. Walkowitz: The megalithic syndrome. European cult sites of the Stone Age (= contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe. Vol. 36). Beier & Beran, Langenweißbach 2003, ISBN 3-930036-70-3 .
  • RCAHMS: The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Ninth report with inventory of monuments and constructions in the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles. Edinburgh 1928.

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