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MHG13084 - Enclosure - Balchrick

Summary

An irregularly shaped, sub-rectangular enclosure lies E-W on its long axis and measures 20.5m by 13m internally.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Large sections of the ridge to the SE of the Balchrick to Droman road have a machair-type cover, with shelly sand typically around lm deep providing the base for good pasturage and a notably diverse meadow flora. In some local areas however, mainly a little below the crest of the ridge on the NW side, more or less extensive blow-outs have occurred, exposing the underlying rock or stony surface. In two places, the remains of old settlements have thus been revealed.

This site, on a NW-facing slope at approximately 40m OD, is largely surrounded by an area of (actually or potentially) mobile and unstable sand and machair. At some time the site has evidently been completely covered by sand, and has subsequently been re-exposed by wind-blow and water erosion. The area surrounding this site was the subject of work by Scottish Natural Heritage (then NCC) in 1989 when a conservation project was carried out to stabilise the dunes and machair by treatment with peat and planting with marram grass. (Since 1997 this project has been continued by the Trust). The work appears to have been fairly successful, though some further erosion and exposure of the site has since occurred on a relatively small scale (see next paragraph below).
On the archaeological front, it is understood that at much the same time as the SNH work, some excavation of the site was carried out by Highland Regional Council Archaeology Service, and the presence of postholes was reported. Detailed information on this work has not been traced, but an undated sketch of part of the site presumed to have been made at the time (received from The Highland Council through SNH), alows it to be estimated that in some places the standing edge of the sand has since eroded back a further 1-2m. The site contains the remains of an enclosure, two sand mounds with substantial seashell accumulations, and traces of two possible hut circles.

Feature 1; Enclosure.
An irregularly shaped, sub-rectangular enclosure lies E-W on its long axis and measures 20.5m by 13m internally. Walling of rough boulders is plainly visible to the north, west and east. In the south the walling probably continues under the machair (the sand layer being here almost 2m deep), but its line cannot be determined without excavation. The walling stands to a height of 0.7m in places in the east and west but to the north is less, being 0.5m high on the inside and flush with the surrounding remanent sand on the outside. A curved feature, 3.2m N-S, intrudes into the interior of the enclosure in the south east corner. A sub-rectangular feature measuring 8m E-W by 3m N-S with stones lying sunk in the sand has been built within the enclosure, abutting the north wall. There is a break in the stone line in the south side, but insufficiently well defined to be confirmed as an entrance. The interior of the enclosure is sandy with sparse vegetation and some shell thinly scattered (shell scatter is noticeably thicker outside the enclosure to the west). There are also small areas of stone tumble inside the enclosure. A gap in the walling in the north west corner is a possible entrance, though not clearly defined. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (5)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 1915 5962 (26m by 22m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC15NE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	EDDRACHILLIS

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (1)