MHG2259 - Possible Broch, Dunnet
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
Picts House (remains of) marked on 1st ed OS. Shows small circular feature withan oval feature surrounding this - HAW 8/2003
Cairn (NR) OS 6" map, (1960)
A sandy mound 16-17ft high, around top of which much stone is visible, but no structure is exposed. The diameter of top is about 46ft, but the character of the remains is indefinite.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910.
A prominent oval natural hillock with some stone exposed in top which shows no evidence of artificial placing.
Visited by OS (I S S) 9 March 1972.
Broch, 30m diameter and 8m high. (Wrongly numbered as 658 on distribution map.)
R J Mercer 1980.
At ND 2214 7028, in a consolidated dune landscape, is an elongated mound, 58m E-W by 36m wide towards W end, where it attains a max height of 3.5m. The summit is roughly level, 13m across with random stones forming no intelligible pattern strewn on and around it. Rabbit scrapes in upper part of mound show an admixture of stone fragments and sand, whereas burrowing in lower levels reveals only pure sand. In few places where it can be examined, humus layer is very thin, which may demonstrate that sandblow is a relatively recent occurrence.
There would appear to be two main alternatives: (i) that there was a massive structure, ie. a broch, onto which sand has blown leaving only a few of loose topmost stones exposed, or (ii) an entirely natural dune on summit of which a fairly flimsy construction, now unintelligible, has been erected.
Surveyed at 1:10,000. Visited by OS (N K B) 21 May 1982.
ND27 1 DUNNET ND/2214 7028
Possible broch in Dunnet, Caithness, consisting of a sandy mound 4.91-5.21m (16-17ft) high and with a diameter at the top of about 14.03m (46ft). It is not clear whether there is a building inside it [1].
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. ND 27 SW 10: 2. RCAHMS 1911b, 26-7, no. 78: 3. Mercer 1981, no. 657. <1>
Sources/Archives (3)
- --- SHG2510 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Mercer, R. J. & Howell, J.M.. 1980. Archaeological field survey in northern Scotland, 1976-1979. University of Edinburgh. 30/01/1980. Paper and Digital. 83, 167, No. 657.
- --- SHG2664 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Third report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Caithness. . 26-7, No. 78.
- <1> SHG26111 Text/Publication/Monograph: Mackie, E.. 2007. The Roundhouses, Brochs and Wheelhouses of Atlantic Scotland c.700 BC - AD 500: Architecture and material culture Part 2 (I & II) The Northern and Southern Mainland and the Western Islands. BAR British Series. 444. Paperback. ND27 1 DUNNET.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 2213 7028 (69m by 70m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND27SW |
| Civil Parish | DUNNET |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/8884 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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