Shiaba

Shiaba is a ruined township on the south-western peninsula of the Isle of Mull. It was awarded scheduled monument status in 1993 for its significance as evidence of 18th- and 19th-century rural life.

The name derives from Gaelic Sia Ba, meaning six cows, reflecting the area's relative fertility. Shiaba first appears by that name in written records in 1779, though it may be older.

A possible earlier settlement called Shaback appears in Blaeu's Atlas of Scotland in 1654. The community first used the run-rig agricultural system, then changed around 1804 into a crofting community with fixed land attached to each croft.

At its height Shiaba included a school, corn-drying kilns, one or two horizontal watermills, about 12 dwellings, byres, peat-drying stacks and possibly a small chapel. The mid-19th-century population was around 130.

The Duke of Argyll issued an eviction notice in 1845. In 1847 almost all inhabitants were removed, some relocating within the Ross of Mull and others encouraged to go overseas.

Potato crop failure in 1846 contributed to hardship and to the landlord's argument for removal. By the 1871 census only a single shepherd and his family remained.

The final dwelling was vacated in 1937 after severe storm damage, leaving the township entirely abandoned. Historic Scotland scheduled the site on 5 March 1993 because it is a well-preserved and documented settlement showing the move from pre-crofting to crofting economy.