MHG2251 - Possible broch, Hollandmey

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (2)

  • BROCH (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
  • (Alternate Type) MOUND (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)

Protected Status

  • None recorded

Full Description

Site of (NAT) Pict's House (NR)
OS 25" map, Caithness, 2nd ed., (1872)

This low mound, of indefinite measurements, is believed to contain the remains of a broch. Some slight excavation was done in it by John Nicolson, Nybster and a small bone ring was recovered (RCAHMS 1911).
A 'Pictish House', entirely removed about 1869. A piece of silver - neither a coin nor an ornament, was found during its removal. (Under 'various modes of spelling', "Cairn of Hollandmay" has been deleted and "Site of Pict's House" substituted.) (ONB 1872).
RCAHMS 1911; Name Book 1872.

A highly polished ring of bone 7/8ins in diameter from an inhabited site at Hollmey was donated to the NMAS in 1908 as part of the collection of Sir Francis Tress Barry (Acc No: HD 420). <1> (Hollmey is presumably Hollandmay, alternatively Hollomey (ONB 1872).

The remains of the broch were Scheduled in 1950 as 'Hollandmey, broch 330m NNW of'.

There are now no intelligible remains of this feature, except for a slight mound of indeterminate dimensions located on a faint eminence in a cultivated field at ND 2929 7083. No further information could be obtained locally concerning this possible broch, the excavation, or the find mentioned above.
Revised at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (R B) 23 February 1965.

(ND 2929 7083) Mound (NR) (site of)
OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)

The low, presumably part-natural eminence which is all that remains of the site is about 35.0m across and 1.2m high. Current evidence is insufficient for certain classification.
Visited by OS (J B) 4 May 1982.

The monument was De-scheduled in 1992.

The site was visited by SUAT in 2004 during a walkover survey in advance of a proposed windfarm development. There were no clearly visible remains of a broch. The site was a grassy mound, measuring 50m north-south and 45m east-west on the highest point of a field used for pasturing cattle. <2>

ND27 2 HOLLANDMAY ('Hollmey') ND/2930 7083
Site of possible broch in Canisbay, Caithness, consisting of a low mound at the edge of a field in which a small excavation was carried out by J Nicholson of Nybster, and a polished bone ring recovered [2, 3]. A different source says that this "Pictish house" was entirely removed in about 1869 and a piece of silver (unidentified) was found [1].
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. ND 27 SE 3: 2. RCAHMS 1911b, 16, no. 39: 3. Proc Soc Antiq Scot 43 (1908-09), 18 (find). <3>

Sources/Archives (5)

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred ND 2929 7082 (70m by 70m) (2 map features)
Map sheet ND27SE
Civil Parish CANISBAY
Geographical Area CAITHNESS

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (1)

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