MHG2728 - Motte, Cnoc an Tighe Mhoir
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- MOTTE (Medieval - 1058 AD to 1559 AD)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
What may be a motte, mutilated by later landscaping, has been formed from the tip of a promontory about 280m N of Erchless Castle; on the N and W the ground falls steeply to the Erchless Burn, while at the base of the mound on the S and E there is a ditch up to 10m broad and 4m deep. The roughly circular summit, which is occupied by a private burial-ground, measures up to 25m in diameter and stands about 6m above the bottom of the ditch.
RCAHMS 1979, visited 1979; Orig Paroch Scot 1855; E Meldrum 1975
Cnoc an Tighe Mhoir - 'Hillock of the Big House', can be classified with some certainty as a motte, which is over- grown with trees and scrub, except for the summit area which is a private burial ground. The hillock occurs at the W end of a spur with steep slopes on the N and W sides down to Erchless Burn, and is isolated from the spur by a substantial ditch, up to 3.0m deep, curving around the E arc and connecting with the steep natural slopes. An ornamental path ascends the motte, but this does not appear to have altered the profile significantly.
Visited by OS (N K B) 5 March 1981
Sources/Archives (4)
- --- SHG1131 Text/Publication/Article: Yeoman, P A. 1988. 'Mottes in Northeast Scotland', Scot Archaeol Rev Vol. 5 1988, p.125-33. Scot Archaeol Rev. 125-33. 131, no. 90.
- --- SHG2673 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1979. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of North-east Inverness, Inverness District, Highland Region. . 25, No. 189.
- --- SHG3175 Text/Publication/Article: Meldrum, E. 1975. Medieval castles and towerhouses. SHG2345. 141-52. 145.
- --- SHG342 Text/Publication/Monograph: OPS. 1855. Origines parochiales Scotiae: the antiquities ecclesiastical and territorial of the parishes of Scotland. 2/2. 518.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 4105 4108 (60m by 60m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH44SW |
| Civil Parish | KILMORACK |
| Geographical Area | INVERNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/12402 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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