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Visited 4th November 2001 by Marlyn Price and Meryl
Marshall, NOSAS, with the purpose of surveying and recording
the archaeological features. Weather - sunny with occasional
heavy showers, windy and cold. The site lies on a fluvio-glacial
terrace on the west side of the strath. The site is
enclosed and used for grazing sheep.
The site could be described as multi-period. The 3 main
features have been interpreted as cairns and are situated
on knolls overlooking the flood plain of the river,
there are a number of other cairns and small enclosures
which may be burial or clearance sites, and the footings
of a longhouse with associated earthwalls.
Some of the stonework from the sites may have been robbed
in order to construct a substantial wall enclosing a
field on the lower valley floor nearby.
The site is shortly to be included as one of the stopping
points on the Strathnaver Archaeological Trail.
NC75NW 0016
1.0 Cairn - NC 7194 5500 - This major feature at
the north end of the site appears to be a natural knoll
which has been enhanced to form a central cairn, identified
by a scattering of stones over an area with a diameter
of 24m. There is a hollow at the highest, central point
where there are three large flat elongated stone slabs,
the largest being 1.3m in length and 0.7m wide. Two
of the slabs are upended on their long sides - ?evidence
of a chamber. Other smaller stones are in this vicinity
and there is evidence of possible recent excavation/disturbance.
NC75SW 0002A
2.0 Circular enclosure/?Cairn -NC 7198 5489 - The
middle of the three "cairns" already recorded,
this feature is situated atop a small knoll at the edge
of the escarpment overlooking the flood plain. The circular
earthbank encloses an area with an internal diameter
of 9m. The earthbank has some stones evident and is
generally 1m in width and variable in height (0.3m at
its highest) but is barely discernible for a small section
in the north. There may be an entrance in the southeast.
NC75SW 0002B
3.1 Circular enclosure/?Cairn - NC 7202 5486 - The
southmost of the three main features at this site. Situated
on top of a knoll and on the edge of the escarpment
overlooking the flood plain. This circular feature appears
to be much degraded by stone robbing and possibly more
recent use in connection with management of animals.
An internal area of diameter roughly 12m has an encircling
earth and stone wall of between 0.2m and 0.4m in height
and 1m to 1.5m in width. Internally there is a central
raised area, 3m in diameter and 0.2m in height. There
is a shallow scooped area 3m in diameter adjacent to
the wall on the west side, it is enclosed by a low bank
of stones 0.2m in height. There are many grass-covered
stones in evidence on the western slope, where it falls
away to a marsh and ditch. The ditch and earthbank to
the south and west appear to be associated with this
feature.
A possible interpretation of this feature is that of
unfinished broch or a "moated homestead" (see
NC75NW0014 situated 500m to the NW.
3.2 Ditch and Earthbank - NC 7201 5484 - Almost
certainly associated with feature 3.1. The ditch measures
20m in length and 1.5m deep, it forms an arc to the
southwest of feature 3.1 and finishes abruptly at its
south end. The outer earthbank is roughly 35m in length
and may have been formed of the upcast material from
the ditch. There is a small knoll with a depression
at its centre at the northern end of the earthbank.
NC75NW 0019
4.1 Enclosure - NC 7188 5499 - A low circular earth
and stone wall enclosing a dished area with an internal
diameter of 5m. Height of the wall is roughly 0.3m and
width variable from 1m to 1.5m. There appears to be
an entrance in the southeast.
4.2 Cairn - NC 7186 5499 - A low grass covered
cairn beside the road, 2m in diameter.
4.3 Cairn - NC 7190 5498 - A substantial grass
and stone covered cairn, rising to 1m in height and
with a diameter of 6m.
4.4 Cairn - NC 7189 5498 - A low cairn - a scattering
of stones over an area with a diameter 5m, 0.3m high.
4.5 Enclosure - NC 7192 5497 - A low oval earthbank
surrounding a shallow dished area, roughly 6m long by
4m. There appears to be an entrance at the southeast
end.
4.6 Cairn - NC 7191 5497 - A grass covered cairn
rising to a height of 0.7m and with diameter of 5m,
this too appears to have an associated earthbank, encircling
the eastmost 180 degrees. This earthbank rises to 0.3m
and has a width of between 1m and 1.5m.
4.7 Cairn - NC 7190 5497 - A grass covered cairn
rising to 0.5m in height and with a diameter of 4m.
There appears to be an associated earthbank to the west
making an encircling arc through roughly 60 degrees.
4.8 Cairn - NC 7189 5496 - A small low cairn
beside the road, 3m in diameter.
4.9 Cairn - NC 7190 5498 - A low grass covered
cairn on a slope, 5m in diameter, and 0.5m in height.
4.10 Cairn - NC 7191 5495 - A flattish grass
covered cairn, 5m in diameter.
4.11 Cairn - NC 7191 5494 - A small low oval
cairn, measuring 3m by 2m and 0.4m high, grass covered
but with some stones showing.
4.12 Cairn - NC 7192 5493 - A grass covered cairn,
3m in diameter with a regular conical shape, rising
to 0.5m in height.
4.13 Cairn - NC 7192 5491 - A cairn next to the
road, 6m in diameter, 0.4m in height and grass covered,
with stones evident.
4.14 Cairn - NC 7193 5489 - A low cairn next
to the road, roughly 5m in diameter and grass covered
.
4.15 Cairn - NC 7194 5488 - A flattish cairn
next to the road, roughly 6m in diameter, grass covered
with occasional stones.
5.1 Footings of building/structure - NC 7199 5482
- Turf and stone footings of a building, on a north/south
axis, rise to a height of between 0.2m and 0.3m. There
are 2 compartments to the structure, the northmost measures
6m by 2m and the southmost, 16m by 2m. The building
slopes gently down towards the marsh to the north. There
is no evidence of a end wall at the north.
5.2 Earthwall/Boundary - NC 7198 5486 and NC 7200
5480 - Associated with structure 5.1 but may not
be contemporary with it as it "emerges" from
the centre of the end walls of the structure and appears
not to be connected to it. From the south end of structure
5.1 it is a stone and turf wall which is continuous
in a southeasterly direction for 20m before finishing
in the marsh. The line emerges on the other side of
the marsh 60m away as a dry ditch, 15m in length, crossing
a small "col" in the moraine. From the north
end of structure 5.1 the earthwall stretches northwards
for 90m in total, the southern part of this section
is entirely of turf and wasted to a degree, it is generally
1m wide and 0.2m in height. Further north it is more
substantial and 0.3m to 0.4m high, it ends in a marsh.
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