Ancient skeletons found in the Hebrides

The bones of three skeletons have been found by a pest control officer is North Uist.

Colin Newton who works for the North Uist estate made the discovery when he was laying rat and ferret traps in Griminish on the north-west coast of the island.

He first spotted a lower jawbone – believed to be a child’s – jutting from the sand

Looking further Colin could see other bones and so decided to report his find.

“Skeletons remains”

Historic Scotland commissioned a dig of the site and three bodies were unearthed; they had been buried with the feet towards the east, suggesting possibly the early Christian period.

Some of the remains had been washed away by the sea and sheep’s bones were also discovered in amongst the skeletons suggesting that someone had buried a sheep at the site on a later date.

Some pottery and flint were also discovered, however without other artefacts, the ‘story’ of the skeletons remains a mystery

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