Thairteabhagh: Ruins by a Quiet Sea Loch

Seeking some respite from the relentless westerly winds hammering South Uist, we turned east, following the narrow trail through North Glen Dale—Gleann Dail bho Tuath in Gaelic.

The path, often little more than a suggestion across bog and tussock, led eventually to Thairteabhagh: a calm, tucked-away sea loch flanked by the remains of a few cottages.

One of these, pictured above, sits on a raised terrace on the loch’s western shore. Compact and solid, it measures roughly 8 by 4 metres. The walls are a metre thick and mortared. A hipped roof once capped it, thatched with heather, with chimney stacks at either end, though now only one remains. A concrete sheep wash lies beside it. From the air, the traces of lazy-bed cultivation can apparently still be made out¹Cottage, Hairteabhagh, Canmore ID 318871 http://canmore.org.uk/site/318871.

This building was not shown on the 1903 edition of the OS 6-inch map. I suspect this is another example of the generous offer of land for returning WW1 servicemen (see previous posts).

Along the shoreline, the signs of man’s activities are clear. Boat landing spots, a section of cleared beach that may have been for seaweed storage, and what seems to be a small quay, built from dry stone walling.

Perhaps the most curious detail is inland: the stone abutments of a bridge, very well built. The Ordnance Survey labelled it with deadpan precision—“Broken Bridge.” Today, a large plank stands in for engineering, spanning the deep, fast-flowing Abhainn Marulaigh. Proof, if any were needed, that people once valued a way through other than by boat.

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  Cottage, Hairteabhagh, Canmore ID 318871 http://canmore.org.uk/site/318871