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MHG19449 - Hut Circle - Dubh Chlais

Summary

A hut circle at Dubh Chlais.

Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

A hut circle at Dubh Chlais.

Hut circle c. 13m in diameter; lies within the cleared settlement of Dubh Chlais. <1>

Surveyed by the Assynt's Hidden Lives project in December 2009. Located within improved pasture, this structure lies on fringes of the Dubh Chlais township, overlooking it from SW from an elevated position on hillside. The structure is sub-circular in plan, measuring 14m in diameter. The bank consists of a broad, low mound which is grass and heather covered and formed from field cobblesvarying in size up to a maximum of 0.8m by 0.3m. The mound measures 2m wide x 0.7m high and has a small spur at its SE end. There are possible openings in the Nand SE ends. There is a large quantity of stone down the western edge/bank of this structure and several piles of stones lie elsewhere around it. The relationship of these to the hut-circle is unclear and would repay further investigation. <2>

211770 922888 GS022 Dubh Chlais 1: The hut circle was revisited by G Sleight and A Welti in 2013 as part of research for a dissertation on hut circles in Wester Ross. This was part of a degree course overseen by Aberdeen University. This circular stone structure is in fair condition and lies on a gentle north facing slope in a rough landscape surrounded by low rocky hills. The surrounding landscape vegetation is mainly grass bracken and heather. Inside the structure vegetation is a mixture of bracken and grass. To the south of the structure is an enclosure with signs of a possible dyke, submerged by bracken. There are other field boundaries in the vicinity. The HC is 30 m from a stream, 1000m from the River Inver, 12000m from freshwater Loch Bad na Goibhre and 1200m from the sea at Lochinver. Views from the site are panoramic inland. Wall facings and the ring bank are visible. The platform is dug into and built out from the slope with a stone revettment which averages 1.6m in height above outside ground level. A natural knoll is evident abutting the SE arc of the HC. The average inner diameter is 9.8m, outer diameter is 13.4m. The double skinned wall is 2.2m thick with maximum height 0.6m. A probable entrance faces south with internal width 2.0m, external width 2.2m and passage length 4.0m, indicative of an extended entrance. GS022 is at a distance of 300m from each of GS023 (see MHG19450), GS024 (see MHG60594), and GS025 (see MHG60593). Although GS022 seems to be part of a group of four HCs, it is in a relatively isolated position on a ridge to SW of the Dubh Clais settlement; the other 3 are all on SE facing slopes across a burn and are relatively close to each other. GS022 was also possibly a bit more substantial originally than GS025 and GS024 though GS023 may have been similar. <3> <4>

[Note: a database was set up as part of research for the dissertation and was subsequently expanded as an extension of the We Digs Project (see website link below). The full access database can be made available to enquirers/researchers if requested - contact HER for details].

GIS spatial data amended in 2019 to location as shown on 2009 APs. <5>

Sources/Archives (5)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 1176 2290 (20m by 20m)
Map sheet	NC12SW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	ASSYNT

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