Hebridean Archaeological Sites
Flora Macdonald's Birthplace, South Uist
Main Article
Location: NF 740 269
The former settlement of Airigh Mhuillin is known as the birthplace of Flora MacDonald, the woman who famously helped Bonnie Prince Charlie to avoid capture after the Battle of Culloden in 1745.
This settlement is now thought not to have been her actual birthplace, but there is evidence that she lived here for a time. A monument with an inscription was erected by the Clan MacDonald Society.
The remains of several blackhouses and stockyard enclosures are visible among the irises and pasture. Archaeological excavations over a period of seven years examined a number of the blackhouses and associated buildings, including a corn drying kiln. The settlement was shown to have been occupied from the late 1790s until the clearances in the mid 19th century.
SMR Database Entries
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has an extensive online Sites and Monuments Records database, with in-depth details about the historical, cultural and archaeological sites and monuments in the Hebrides. This site is featured in this database, and the list below gives links to read more. These links will open in a new browser window / tab.
