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MHG1918 - Site of Sheepfold, Upper Achairn

Summary

Several sheep or stock enclosures are located in this area. They are marked on the 1st ed OS mapping.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

NGR corrected to above on the basis that the modern OS mapping shows a circular and rectangular feature. These features are S of a small burn which on the 1st ed OS has another circular sheepfold marked to the N.
HAW 10/2003

The area has been deep-ploughed and planted with conifers and there is little or no recoverable detail of the enclosures. However, the previous description, in particular the traces of a runnel round the top of their walls, indicate that they were probably old sheepfolds as indicated on the OS 6" 1st edition map.
Visited by OS (J M) 9 December 1982.

On W side of Achairn Burn is a group of four circular enclosures and a rectangular building, with five similar circular enclosures widely scattered to NE.
The enclosures are all turf-walled, probing showing no trace of stonework, with the walls spread generally to 2.5m in width and about 0.2m high. They show traces of a runnel around the top of the wall about 0.4m wide and 0.1m deep, suggestive of a palisade trench, but this could be due to sheep walking on the walls. Some occur on level ground, others are levelled into slight slopes and all are built on top of peat up to a depth of 1m. Except for that immediately E of ruinous croft of Upper Achairn, which has a probable denuded entrance gap in S, none show evidence of an entrance.
The footings of a rectangular building at ND 2720 4719 beside the first group measures about 14m E-W by 4.5m transversely between centres of a similar turf wall. Stones are only evident on either side of entrance, centrally placed in S wall.
The purpose of these enclosures is uncertain. They are most likely to be fairly recent stock enclosures, possibly contemporary with the shielings which occur at intervals along Achairn Burn. They are not hut circles.
Surveyed at 1:10,000. Visited by OS (A A) 19 April 1972.

(ND 2716 4726, ND 2827 4802, ND 2783 4826) Sheepfold (NAT) (Three times) OS 6" map, Caithness, 1st ed., (1871)

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred ND 2716 4718 (16m by 15m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	ND24NE
Civil Parish	WICK
Geographical Area	CAITHNESS

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