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MHG10055 - Township - Garbh-Airigh

Summary

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Type and Period (3)

Protected Status

Full Description

NH69NW 23 635 987.
An area of 18th - 19th century depopulation named Garbh-airigh. There are footings of four main buildings, dimensions varying from 16m by 4m to 24m by 4m, and a subsidiary footing 7 m by 3.5m. There are a number of accompanying enclosures. The in-field, in which strip cultivation is evident, is bounded by a bank outside of which is a head bank or dyke taking in an appreciable margin of rough ground.
Visited by OS (J M) 2 September 1980.

A township comprising three unroofed buildings, two enclosures, some fields and a head-dyke is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1879, sheet ciii). Five unroofed buildings, four enclosures, some field walls and a head-dyke are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10560 map (1970).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 3 November 1995

DBAs and walkover surveys were carried out by CFA Archaeology Ltd in November 2002 and April 2003 in advance of a proposed wind farm development at Cambusmore Estate, near Bonar Bridge, Sutherland.

The NMRS (ref NH69NW 23 and 28) records a deserted township comprising three unroofed buildings, two enclosures, some fields and a head dyke depicted on the 1st Edition OS map. Field survey within the site boundary identified the remains of four buildings, a possible corn-drying kiln and a series of turf and stone field banks, within 150m of the west side of the present access track. The head-dyke was not traced as it lies outwith the study corridor. Building 36.01 is 15m long by 5m wide oriented E-W and sits on a low knoll on the west side of the track to Garvary (NGR NH 6356 9870). The wall remains are of drystone rubble construction, c.0.5m wide and upstanding to a maximum of 1m with distinct breaches in the centre of both the north and south walls . The interior is divided into three possible compartments, the largest being the eastemmost which is 9m long. Building 36.02 is attached to the west end of 36.01 on a skewed alignment to the WSW. This building is approximately 8m long WSW-ENE by 5m wide (NGR NH 6355 9871). The drystone walls are poorly preserved, c.0.5m wide and up to c.0.5m high with a possible entrance in the NNW wall. Structure 36.03 is a possible corn-drying kiln. It is of drystone construction, approximately 2m internal diameter preserved up to 1m high, with walls 0.6-1.0m wide that flare outwards towards the top of the structure. The structure is situated at the top of the ditch bank on the west side of the track (NGR NH 6359 9867).

Building 36.05 is the largest in this group and the most complex in plan. It is also the most poorly preserved. The building sits on a slight plateau on the north side of a low knoll well to the west of the track (NGR NH 6353 9877). The main body of the building measures 17m N-S by 3m E-W and the wall remains are a maximum 0.5m high. Two small extensions each 3m by 3m are situated 2m from the north end of the building, attached to its east side with a 2m wide gap between the two. Two low drystone rubble walls connect the west side of the building to a stone and turf field wall approximately 5m downslope to the west. The final building in the group (36.06) is a small rectangular building close to the west side of the track (NGR NH 6357 9882). It is 7m long N-S by 3m E-W with poorly preserved walls c.0.5-0.7m wide and up to 0.3m high. A possible entrance is visible on the west side. A possible enclosure (36.07) c.12m NE-SW by 8m NW-SE is cut by the present track (NGR NH 6357 9889). The walls are of drystone construction, c.0.5m wide and preserved up to a maximum 1.6m high. The associated field system is defined by curvilinear turf and stone banks c.0.5m wide and up to 0.5m high enclosing semi-improved ground and includes a sub-circular enclosure c.90m in diameter containing rig and furrow.. <1>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 6355 9885 (677m by 812m)
Map sheet	NH69NW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	CREICH

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