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Airigh Dalach is a shielings settlement located in Perthshire, Scotland. Shielings were temporary seasonal settlements used by communities to manage livestock during summer grazing months, typically between May and September. These sites are characterised by clusters of small bothies or huts constructed from stone, often built with minimal mortar and adapted to withstand harsh Highland weather. The settlement sits on bedrock of the Southern Highland Group, composed of psammite and pelite formations dating to the Middle Cambrian period, which provides the local stone for construction.
The monument represents an important aspect of pastoral land use in the Scottish Highlands, where transhumance—the seasonal movement of cattle and sheep to upland pastures—was a fundamental practice in the pre-industrial economy. Shielings like Airigh Dalach would have been occupied by herders, dairymaids and their families who produced butter and cheese during the grazing season. The site's location reflects the careful selection of suitable ground for summer pasturing.
Airigh Dalach is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10718, recognising its archaeological significance and its value in understanding Highland pastoral practices and settlement patterns of the medieval and early modern periods.
Airigh Dalach, shielings is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10718. View the official record →
Airigh Dalach is a shielings settlement located in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10718.
Airigh Dalach, shielings is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM10718.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Airigh Allt an Eilein, shielings (1.6 km), Allt Dhuin Croisg, farmstead (2 km), Allt Dhuin Croisg, peat stores (2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Airigh Dalach, shielings's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Airigh Dalach, shielings stands on Southern Highland Group, bedrock that formed in the Middle Cambrian. The rock here is psammite and pelite.