Clac Gugairidh

Glac Gugairidh is a significant deserted settlement located on the Isle of Mull, providing a tangible link to the island’s past communities. Situated within its landscape, the site offers a poignant glimpse into a former township that once thrived. The central National Grid Reference for the site is NM 3535 4649, placing it in a specific area of the island that has now returned to a more natural state.

The archaeological remains at Glac Gugairidh include approximately twelve roofless buildings and various other associated enclosures, sketching the outline of the former settlement. A notable feature of the site is a Post Medieval Head Dyke, which would have marked the boundary of the township’s cultivated or inhabited land. These structures collectively tell the story of a community that once lived and worked on this part of Mull.

The historical presence of Glac Gugairidh is further confirmed by its depiction on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map for Argyllshire (Island of Mull, 1881, sheet lxvii). This map clearly illustrates the township, comprising the dozen unroofed buildings, two enclosures, and the head-dyke that can still be identified today. As a documented site on Canmore (Canmore ID: 21799), Glac Gugairidh stands as an important archaeological record of human settlement and land use on the Isle of Mull.