Reidh-dhail

Reidh-dhail

Reidh-dhail is an intriguing place.  Lying to the west of Ormsaigbeg, miles from any human habitation, in summer it’s little more than a tangle of six-foot high bracken, but the plant’s presence is a sure sign of rich soils.  In winter, the remains of stone walls enclosing and subdividing a substantial area of land, and a few broken stone houses, indicate that this was once a thriving settlement.  The little burn that runs away to bottom right of this picture leads to a small but sheltered port, so the people who lived here were fishermen as well as farmers.

There is very little known history to the place.  Local people say it was once a local shieling for summer grazing, but its name suggests it is much older, perhaps dating back to Viking times.  So there is little doubt that it was inhabited at the time of the MacIains.