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MHG11915 - Lime kiln - Laid, Durness

Summary

A lime-kiln set in a peat mound.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A rapid coastal zone assessment survey was conducted by GUARD in the Autumn of 1997 commissioned by Historic Scotland from the Viking and Early Settlement Archaeological Research Project based at the University of Glasgow.

This township lies on the sloping peat bogs of the west side of Loch Eriboll and is as depicted on the OS 1:10 560 map sheet (1962). Created in 1832-5 to re-settle sub-tenants from Eriboll and to relieve settlements congested after evictions elsewhere, the township consists of a long defile of single and one-and-a-half story cottages. Each cottage has a patch of land enclosed with massive dry-stone dykes. Many of the cottages are now ruinous or have been replaced by holiday cottages, although some of the original structures have been renovated and are still tenanted by crofters. Most of the structural elements are upslope at the west side of the township, adjacent to the main road, and thus outside the area of this survey. The features listed below are those recognised by this survey and which are clearly part of the township but do not appear on the cartographic record. A comprehensive survey of the township is required.

At the east end of one of the fields of the township is a lime-kiln set in a peat mound. The bowl is of dry-stone construction and is 1.3 m in diameter at the top and has a depth of 0.8 m. The east facing side of this kiln has a lintel-capped opening for shovelling out the fired lime. This is clearly a part of the individual croft in which it lies and the owner of that croft stated that every plot at Laid had its own limekiln at some stage. The acidic nature of the peat bog land of this township clearly required to be limed to produce fertile planting ground. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2023 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Note: Report NGR is incorrect. (TB 1/6/26)

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 4162 5908 (13m by 17m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC45NW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	DURNESS

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