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MHG19021 - Breac-Achadh

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Type and Period (4)

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Full Description

The township of Breac-achadh, comprises one roofed, two unroofed buildings, two unroofed circular structures, one of which is a sheepfold, and a field system, as depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1879, sheet lxxxviii). One roofed, three unroofed buildings, two of which are L-shaped and have two compartments, a field-system and what may be a former head-dyke are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10560 map (1963).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 23 October 1995.

Linear Boundary Dyke, NC 84866 11741 to NC 84839 11499.
High-angled corner of grass-covered, low, broad bank trends 289 degrees for 35m into a reedy, boggy area and 178 degrees downhill across a grass meadow area to 284876 911562, where it bends to join with the NE corner of the more substantial enclosure wall of Feature 143 (above) at 284839 911499. The bank is cut by the existing access track, 2m to the S of this original corner (see Plate 22), below the derelict house of Feature 165 (below) of Breac-achadh. At its upper end, it is approximately 2m wide and 0.4m high, but at the lower end it narrows to 0.8m wide and stones are visible in its construction, protruding through the grass cover, and in places it is somewhat vague as it crosses over tussocky, grass-covered, hummocky terrain.

Enclosure, NC 84795 11783.
The lower gable end of the longhouse of Feature 156 (below) forms the NW wall of an attached small, sub-rectangular enclosure, the interior of which is now very boggy and reedy. The partially grass-covered, stone-built enclosure walls are very substantial, standing perfectly straight and squat, 0.8m high and 1m thick, but peter out at its SW corner in a boggy, reed-covered area. The enclosure is 17m x 12m, with a chamfered NE corner, and its long sidewalls trend 163 degrees, parallel to the longhouse remains of Feature 156 (below), down a 5 degree slope in reed-covered ground.

Building Remains, NC 84802 11783.
Within the enclosure of Feature 154 (above), there are the wooden remains of a possible former building (indicated as roofed on the OS 2nd Edition), strewn about the interior. No exact footings are visible in this thick reed-covered area.

Building Remains, NC 84791 11795.
NW corner of longhouse, measuring 13m x 4m, to the SW of the adjacent longhouse of Feature 157 (below). The footings survive to 0.4m high and are tumbled to 1m thick. The sidewalls trend down a 50 slope bearing 1630. Possible entrances occur opposite each other on each sidewall, 5m down from the upper gable end, where the heather cover in the upper section gives way to grass on the lower section. The upper gable end is 1m thick and the lower gable end is 1.2 m thick and wider, at 5m, than the upper gable.

Building Remains, NC 84802 11826.
NE corner of longhouse, marked by a prominent boulder, set on a broad, low, glacial knoll to the NW of the derelict house of Feature 165 (below) at Breac-achadh, and NE and uphill of the adjacent longhouse of Feature 156 (above). The long sidewalls of the footings trend 29m down a 7 degree slope and bear 165 degrees, are 0.3m high and up to 0.8m thick, although the 3m wide, upper gable end is 1.2m thick and the narrower (2.7m wide) lower gable end is 1m thick. The upper part of the house remains are covered in grass, while the lower part is heather-covered, making the lower walls difficult to determine, although individual boulders are occasionally apparent. A possible entrance exists centrally on the W side.

Enclosure (angular), NC 84679 11573.
NW corner of substantial, well-constructed stone walls of an enclosure (see Plate 20) measuring 6m x 7m, attached to the S side of the W section of the farmstead of Feature 138 (below). This enclosure, better-preserved than the adjoining farmstead remains (indicating use later than the farmstead?), has a lintelled sheep creep, 0.6m high and 0.4m wide, on its W wall and an inbuilt drain hole, approximately 0.1m square, on its S wall at its lower end, draining the enclosure interior onto the exterior grassy meadow. All walls are well constructed of coursed sub-angular stonework.

Building Remains, NC 84679 11573.
SW corner of substantial stone wall remains of farmstead at Breac-achadh (see Plate 20), measuring 22m x 4.5m, with an internal division, and an entrance on the S side of the E section. The W section, to which the enclosure of Feature 137 (above) extends to the SW, is 8m long and E section is 14m long. Walls survive to 1.5m high and 0.7m thick, and the long sidewalls of the farmstead trend 117 degrees. The existing access track passes <1m from the E gable end of the farmstead and is sunk 0.8m below its floor level, and has already partially undermined its foundations, which are exposed on an open E face.

Enclosure, NC 84793 11438.
S corner of extensive enclosure, covering the grassy meadow area to the SE of farmstead of Feature 138 (above) at Breac-achadh. The stone-built wall forming the boundary of the enclosure is grass-covered and is 0.8m wide and survives to 1m high. The SW side of the enclosure, parallel to Allt a’Bhreac-achaidh, is built up above the level of the terrace to retain the field area, and the solid stone construction is clearly visible in its SW face. The SE wall is completely grass-covered, is wider at 1.5m and its top is arch-shaped in cross-section and trends NE, straight to its E corner at 284839 911499.

Linear Boundary Dyke, NC 84749 11574 to NC 84743 11601.
A less well defined, grass-covered broad mound dyke, 1.5m wide and 0.5m high, trends 3480 for 25m, obliquely across the grass-covered meadow area, from its join with the grass-covered dyke of Feature 143 (above).

From the E corner, the grass-covered dyke has a broad, rounded profile and is 2m wide and 0.8m high, with a 1m wide and 0.4m deep grassy, dry ditch on its NE side. It bends at 284749 911574 and runs towards the E stone wall corner of the kale-yard of Feature 139 (above) of Breac-achadh farmstead. <1>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 8469 1150 (100m by 100m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC81SW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	CLYNE

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