After violent storms uncovered the remains of several dwellings in Baile Sear, North Uist in January 2005, archaeologists decided to form a community project to learn as much as possible before the ruins are lost to the sea.

Speaking to the BBC, coordinator Tom Dawson said: "People had seen bits and pieces of the remains before, but as the cobbles and sand washed way the structures are just sitting there on the beach.

"There are thought to be two roundhouses. We believe they are Iron Age making them 2,000 years old."

Bushcraft enthusiasts are interested to learn ancient shelter building techniques, and the dig offers an interesting glimpse into how our ancestors built and maintained their homes.

Bushcraft UK has discovered that Scape, the charity spearheading the research, has also started investigating the remains of salt pans on sand dunes at Brora in Sutherland. The large metal trays were filled with sea water and heated below by fires fueled by coal from a nearby pit to produce salt.  

The charity has focused its efforts in those areas where local interest in the projects is high.

For more information, see http://www.scapetrust.org/

Article: John Burton

Photo courtesy SCAPE

©Bushcraft Media Ltd. 2007

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