port henderson : past & present - Royal Commission on the Ancient ...

from the sea because there were no roads to the fishing village. (It has been suggested by some
residents that the kiln was used either to burn seaweed for fertiliser or to smoke fish. However, there
are no tarry deposits to be seen which would indicate fish smoking). Between the headland of A’
Sgùmán and the <strong>port</strong> there was a well, Fuarán a’ Sgùmán, which was said to have the finest water in
Port Henderson, never to run dry and to be
always cool. This can still be seen. A grassy
area to the south of the buildings was used
for drying fishing nets. Behind the
buildings were 'gardens' as laid out in the
original minutes of sett.
The second row of fishermen’s
cottages is found towards the main beach
and was called An Càrn Mór, translated as
‘the big cairn’, although this name has also
been applied to one house, ‘Carnmore.’ (The original Carnmore burnt down and was rebuilt, see page
78).
To the north of the township is Lianag na h-Atha, meaning ‘green of the kiln’ (OSR) which is a
small <strong>port</strong>ion of land where there are the remains of two kiln structures. The faint outline of one can be
seen on open moorland within croft 20 whilst the other, slightly more distinguishable, is nearer the
rocky shoreline below croft 13.
Wentworth recorded that there were tracks or pathways which linked Port Henderson with the
next township of Opinan and from there more led to South Erradale but these are now disused and not
easy to discern. The main track from Port Henderson to Opinan was where the <strong>present</strong> road runs. There
was also a track which cut across rough ground from the south of Port Henderson to Opinan which can
still be followed and this was used by the schoolchildren when the school in Opinan was functioning.
It was very common for wells to be found in townships. Some were merely springs but others
were built with small retaining walls for protection. One such well can
still be seen with the stones in place. It was known locally as Fuaran Aili
Eachainn. Aili Eachainn was the name of the shoemaker who lived in the
house at a’ Bhuile Dhubh, the ‘black (cattle-) fold’, who used this well.
Aili Eachainn was Alec, son of Hector MacKenzie. From the census
records for 1891 and 1901 Alexander is recorded as living in a twowindowed
crofthouse on croft 10. His name is also recorded in the Opinan
School registration book as being born on August 6 th Port a Sgùmán today
showing ruins of the
fishermen's houses and
new build
Aili Eachainn's well
1869. Today a few yards below the well is a
concrete water tank, now disused, which once stored the well water. There is another well to be found
under some overhanging rocks on the west side of An Sgùmán where the women used to wash
blankets. After washing they would spread the blankets out to dry on the slopes. This well was only
8