Sheilings and Sheiling Names

Sheilings and Sheiling Names

Sheiling names - from a collaborative project between Historic Assynt and Assynt Learning

A few observations on shielings from Gordon Sleight

Some have suggested that the term Ruigh is more common in E Scotland while Airigh is used in the West. Assynt has more Ruigh than Airigh names !!
Most shielings in Assynt have enclosures and the maps usually show those enclosures. On-site inspection suggests enclosures were created to keep animals out. So enclosures are areas for the humans to live, grow hay or grain, brew, distill etc and the animals were kept probably allowed to roam freely over surrounding hills, or whatever
Shielings are associated with summer grazing areas detached from main settlements. In other parts there is documentary evidence that the men took the stirks (non-dairy cattle) out May to September or thereabouts and their shielings were farthest away or highest up. The women and children took diary cattle to nearer sheilings for a shorter two month period June - Aug. The hill Tor a' Ghamhna (hill of the stirks) with a shieling enclosure of the same name close by on Homes map (E of Unapool and W of Rientraid) suggests that pattern was followed in Assynt

Gordon Sleight