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How and why the ancients enchanted Great Britain and Brittany

Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe, Scarre

Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe, Scarre

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<< Our Photo Pages >> House Of The Fairies - Souterrain (Fogou, Earth House) in Scotland in St. Kilda

Submitted by cornishstargazer on Saturday, 14 October 2023  Page Views: 2980

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: House Of The Fairies
Country: Scotland County: St. Kilda Type: Souterrain (Fogou, Earth House)
Nearest Town: HIrta
Map Ref: NF1001799410
Latitude: 57.813586N  Longitude: 8.571319W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
1 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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House Of The Fairies
House Of The Fairies submitted by cornishstargazer : Entrance to the souterrain on St Kilda. The passage is aligned NW-SE with the opening orientated to the SE and the interior would have been illuminated at winter solstice dawn. (Vote or comment on this photo)
The House of the Fairies is a souterrain on Hirta, St Kilda. To the north of the main street of abandoned houses. The local guide stated that it probably dates from about 500 BC but could be older.

Field Visit (22 July 1924)
RCAHMS Inventory: Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles.
Earth-house, St Kilda.

At the western end of the village of St Kilda the ground rises slightly towards the north, and, at a spot about 100 yards north-west of the township, in close proximity to the present burial ground, an earth-house was accidentally discovered about 1844, and opened and examined in 1876 (1). The internal passage, which measures about 34 feet in length by approximately 4 feet in height and 3 ½ feet broad, is roughly lined with stones of various sizes, apparently unworked. There is one side chamber 6 ft. 2 ins. long and evidence of two others. Here and there undressed roofing slabs of about 8 inches in thickness remain in situ. When disclosed in 1876 the floor was found to be of flat stones with a drain below. It was covered with peat ash and soot in a layer about a foot thick, in which were found bones of animals and sea-fowl, burnt limpet shells, “a large number of rude stone implements resembling hatchets and wedges”, “part of a lamp”, and some fragments of coarse pottery (2). (Figs. 74, 75.)

RCAHMS 1928, visited (by Captain Patrick Grant) 22 July 1924.

(1) See Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot., XII., pp. 186-7; cf. also VII., p. 172.

(2) Mr Sands, who had the place opened in 1876, writes: “The men told me that they had often found small vessels of clay in the earth, but had never seen any pottery made, nor heard that it had ever been made in Hirta. Stone lamps are still to be seen above ground, and some old men told me they had often used them when in Berneray and Soa. It is remarkable that all to whom I showed the implements recognised them at a glance…ʻSean lamhog, sean sgian, old axe, old knife’, they said…It is probable that stone implements were used in St Kilda at a very recent date”. (As cited, p. 187.) Mr R. Kearton says the place “had been only partially explored and to a great extent destroyed”. Among other relics he found an iron spear-head (With Nature and a Camera (1897), p.13.

Source: Canmore: canmore.org.uk/site/9697/st-kilda-hirta-village-bay-house-of-the-fairies

Note: Carolyn K was lucky enough to visit St Kilda recently, also sighting this elusive possible stone circle
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House Of The Fairies
House Of The Fairies submitted by cornishstargazer : St Kilda is one of the most remote places I've ever been to. Abandoned by its population in the 1930s, the remains included a subterranean space and an ancient mound which reminded me of Brane entrance grave. I feel very blessed to have made the journey here. (5 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

House Of The Fairies
House Of The Fairies submitted by cornishstargazer : The deserted village on St Kilda Abandoned by its population in the 1930s (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

House Of The Fairies
House Of The Fairies submitted by cornishstargazer : A view of St Kilda - one of the most remote places I've ever been to. Abandoned by its population in the 1930s, I feel very blessed to have made the journey here. (Vote or comment on this photo)

House Of The Fairies
House Of The Fairies submitted by alasdairp : Site in St. Kilda Scotland. Aerial image of the House of Fairies site from OS with an overlay produced from an early site plan on Canmore, oriented correctly and re-sized showing actual location. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.

Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
NF1099 : House of the Fairies by John Allan
by John Allan
©2015(licence)
NF1099 : St Kilda - 'House of the Fairies' (Taigh An T-sithiche) souterrain by Rob Farrow
by Rob Farrow
©2021(licence)
NF1099 : St Kilda - View inside the 'House of the Fairies' souterrain by Rob Farrow
by Rob Farrow
©2021(licence)
NF1099 : The graveyard with the Army camp in the background by Des Colhoun
by Des Colhoun
©2008(licence)
NF1099 : Cleit above the street, Village Bay, St Kilda by Mike Pennington
by Mike Pennington
©2011(licence)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.2km W 265° Gleann Mor* Standing Stones (NF08869943)
 1.4km WNW 294° The Amazon's House (Hirta) Ancient Village or Settlement (NA08780010)
 1.6km WNW 296° Tobar nam Buadh (St Kilda) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NA0864400247)
 7.5km NE 36° Boreray* Stone Circle (NA15060499)
 67.0km ESE 109° Dun Grogary Stone Fort or Dun (NF71257141)
 67.3km ESE 106° Dun Scolpaig* Stone Fort or Dun (NF7310375028)
 70.4km ESE 108° Cleithreabhal* Chambered Cairn (NF749713)
 70.5km ESE 104° Bac Mic Connain Stone Fort or Dun (NF76947619)
 70.5km ESE 108° South Clettraval* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NF75017118)
 70.6km ESE 104° Bac Mhic Connain Ancient Village or Settlement (NF76737537)
 70.7km ESE 108° Clettraval South* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (NF75167101)
 70.8km ESE 104° Geirisclett* Chambered Cairn (NF76847520)
 70.8km ESE 104° Vallay (N Uist) Rock Art (NF77137600)
 70.8km ESE 105° Airigh Mhic Ruairidh* Stone Fort or Dun (NF76597440)
 71.3km ESE 105° Cnoc A'Comhdhalach Ancient Village or Settlement (NF77087415)
 71.4km ESE 106° Buaile Risary Wheelhouse Ancient Village or Settlement (NF76677291)
 71.4km ESE 106° Buaile Risary Cup Marked Stone Rock Art (NF76697293)
 71.4km ESE 105° Garry Iochdrach Ancient Village or Settlement (NF77237427)
 71.8km ESE 105° Eilean Maleit Ancient Village or Settlement (NF77487388)
 72.1km ESE 103° Rudh' An Duin Stone Fort or Dun (NF7859376180)
 72.4km ESE 103° Leac nan Cailleacha Dubha Standing Stones (NF79087650)
 72.7km ESE 108° Toroghas* Standing Stones (NF77007029)
 73.8km ESE 103° Sollas, Machair Leathann Ancient Village or Settlement (NF80117533)
 74.4km ESE 111° Clach Mhor a' Che* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NF770662)
 74.5km ESE 103° Dun Skellor Broch or Nuraghe (NF80757507)
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