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MHG11608 - Learable

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Renumbered from NC82SE0020K
JHooper, 25/10/2002
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NC82SE 20.01 895 236.

This township is divided into two main clusters, each with a kiln-barn, at NC 896 233 and NC 894 237, separated by a distance of some 200m, but there are also a number of outlying buildings, both within and without the ring-dyke, including a group of four buildings at NC 897 234 on the N side of the shepherd's cottage.
Some thirty buildings have been identified, ranging in length from 5.4m to 33.7m and in breadth from 2m to 3.7m within drystone-rubble walls between 0.6m and 1m in thickness, of which nine were in excess of 15m in length and are referred to henceforth as long-buildings. There are five of the long-buildings in the more northerly of the two main clusters and four in the southern cluster. In general, the buildings were constructed across the slope, with squared angles, but the sidewalls were often slightly bowed, particularly in the long-buildings. Where it was possible to tell, entrances were in one of the sides; some of the long-buildings appeared to have gaps in the lower ends, but this may be attributed to the presence of an exit for a byre-drain. Six of the long-buildings were sub-divided into two unequal compartments, and one had three (KILD91 325). None of the buildings stood sufficiently high to determine the nature of the roof, the best preserved standing up to 0.85m in height and the majority less than 0.6m. Three of the group of four buildings on the N side of the shepherd's cottage have been disturbed in the construction and cultivation of the embanked field
with which the cottage is associated.
There are two kiln-barns, one at each of the two main clusters. Both are built with the kiln set into the slope at the upper end of the barn, with the flue opening into it. They are of similar size, 7.7m and 6.5m in length by 2.9m and 3m in breadth respectively within rubble-faced walls 0.8m and 1.15m in thickness, and their bowls measure 1.8m and 1.65m in diameter respectively by 0.9m in depth.
There are a number of signs of sequence in the township, not least that the ring-dyke is later than some of the buildings (KILD91 327, 298 and 299). Three buildings are overlain by a drystone enclosure in the southern cluster (KILD91 301-3) and a second enclosure overlies the end of a long-building (KILD91 312). One building (KILD91 305) at the S
end of the township, which was better preserved than the others, still stood to 1.4m in height, and atypically had two outshots. Its preservation and atypicallity suggest it may post-date the rest of the buildings.
(KILD91 296, 298-306, 308-318, 323-335, 420-422)
Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 5 June 1991.

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Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 8949 2360 (100m by 100m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC82SE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	KILDONAN

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