Description

The monument consists of a large and complex souterrain, an underground storehouse of Iron Age date, and associated deposits.

The souterrain was discovered about a century ago. Apart from its seaward side, which is subject to marine erosion, the remains are buried well below the surface of the land in front of Gress Lodge. A narrow, curved, passage leads back from the shore and gave access to a circular chamber, 3m across and roofed with flagstones. From this chamber a further passage led NW for 15m to a second circular chamber, and from this a third passage led NE to a third chamber. The whole site was discovered in windblown sand, and had been covered again by 1914. Subsequent gardening has smoothed away all surface traces of the late 19th-century excavations. Pottery and other artefacts of middle Iron Age date have been recovered from the shore section, which consists of a well-stratified and deep series of

midden deposits.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan, bounded by the high- water mark of the shore on the SE, by the stream Abhainn Mhor on the NE, by the N edge of the access track to the shore on the SW and by the S edge of the track leading to the SE side of Gress Lodge on the NW. The area has maximum dimensions of 135m NE-SW by 43m NW-SE, as marked in red on the accompanying plan.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as one of the largest and most complex souterrains in the Western Isles, and one of the few complex examples which appears to have extensive associated prehistoric deposits, since most other complex souterrains in the Western Isles have undergone subsequent re-use. The monument has the potential, through excavation and analysis, to yield important information about Iron Age settlement and economy.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NB 44 SE 4.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland