Of the various Hebridean specimens of these buildings, very interesting
and complete descriptions have been given by the late Captain Thomas,
R.N.,[56] and Sir Arthur Mitchell,[57] who visited some of them together
in 1866. Referring to the most modern examples of this kind of
structure, the latter writer says:--"They are commonly spoken of as
beehive houses, but their Gaelic name is _bo'h_ or _bothan_. They are
now only used as temporary residences or shealings by those who herd
the cattle at their summer pasturage; but at a time not very remote they
are believed to have been the permanent dwellings of the people." And he
thus describes his first sight of the beehive houses:--
"I do not think I ever came upon a scene which more surprised me,
and I scarcely know where or how to begin my description of it.
"By the side of a burn which flowed through a little grassy glen
... we saw two small round hive-like hillocks, not much higher than
a man, joined together, and covered with grass and weeds. Out of
the top of one of them a column of smoke slowly rose, and at its
base there was a hole about three feet high and two feet wide,
which seemed to lead into the interior of the hillock--its
hollowness, and the possibility of its having a human creature
within it being thus suggested.
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