MHG1286 - Stone Rows - Tormsdale
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- STONE ALIGNMENT (Undated)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
At ND 1483 4974, on a gentle, W-facing slope in degraded pasture, is a group of approximately ten surviving stone rows aligned from N-S around the WNW-ESE, and comprising at least 111 stones, of which the large majority just protrude or are buried closed to the surface. The largest stone is 0.8 by 0.2 by 0.6m high. The rows have been obscured in several places by later activity; peat and turf-cutting has encroached on the N side, exposing some stones but undoubtedly causing the removal of others; an amorphous hummock which appears to be composed entirely of peat overlies the rows to an unknown extent in the NW, and an apparent gap in the row system in the S has possibly been caused by early-modern cultivation which has taken place.
Surveyed at 1:10,000. Visited by OS (J B) 15 March 1982.
The stone rows were surveyed by L J Myatt in 1984. <1> <2>
The site was visited by J Hooper in 2001 during a walkover survey carried out to inform an environmnental statement in support of a proposed new wind farm. Immediately outside the head dyke, the 111 stones, arranged in ten radiating rows, are now very difficult to identify amongst the sedge which has colonised the improved grassland. A few of the larger stones, which form Row K as described by Myatt (1985), are readily apparent. Many of the smaller stones are now almost entirely covered in vegetation, so that each row of stones appears as a long, low mound, with occasional stone visible. The stones are located on a gentle westerly slope, with extensive views to Scaraben and Morvern to the south-west, Ben Dorrery to the north-west and Spinal Hill to the north; the stone rows appear to be at the centre of a vast landscape. <3>
Sources/Archives (3)
- <1> SHG28366 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Myatt, L J. 1985. A survey of the Tormsdale stone rows, Caithness. Unaffiliated. Paper and Digital.
- <2> SHG64 Text/Publication/Article: Myatt, L J. 1985. 'A setting of stone rows, Tormsdale, Caithness', Caithness Fld Club Bulletin, Vol 4, April 1985, pp 4-9.
- <3> SHG21392 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Hooper, J.. 02/2001. Achkeepster, Caithness, Location of Proposed Windfarm: An Archaeological Assessment. Janet Hooper. 27/03/2001. Paper and Digital. Site 10.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 1482 4974 (106m by 80m) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND14NW |
| Civil Parish | WATTEN |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/8242 (View HES Canmore entry for this site)
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