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MHG24239 - Township, Glacour

Summary

Township, enclosure, bridge, slit trenches at Glacour

Type and Period (4)

Protected Status

Full Description

NH35SW 2 centred on 332 548

A township comprising seven roofed buildings, two unroofed buildings and two enclosures is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross-shire 1881, sheet lxxxvi). Five roofed buildings, two unroofed structures and three enclosures are shown on the current edition of the 1:10000 map (1971).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 5 March 1996.

Glacour Alternative name - Glaic Odhar (Figure 1)

The settlement of Glacour was recorded by NOSAS in 2007 as part of the Scotland's Rural Past Project and is on the south side of the river Meig and comprises a large grassy north facing, improved area which is sheltered on several sides by large knolls; see plan. An enclosure occupies the majority of the good level ground and there is a roofed holiday cottage within it. A further roofed cottage lies to the SW, partway up the hill. The remains of 2 clusters of buildings, both marked on the 1st edition OS survey, lie outwith the enclosure on marginal ground, one to the SE and one to the SW, and a sheepfank, 744, also on the 1st edition OS map is located 150m to the SE. These multi-period features have been grouped together and are described below starting first with the large enclosure and then from east to west. Township, enclosure, sheepfank and slit trenches (741-757) - centred on NH 3332 5480 (Nmrs No - NH35SW 002)

Main enclosure and features within it;
750 Enclosure Bounded on the north by a dry stone wall, a deer fence and the road and on the SE and SW by the remains of a stone wall, this large enclosure is in the shape of an irregular elongated triangle. It is undulating grassy ground, grazed by deer, and has several knolls, some of them rocky. On two of the larger knolls there are quite large borrow pits. In the east part of the enclosure there is a well kept holiday cottage with a garden surrounding, and also the slit trenches, 752, and the platform, 751. See plan.

751 Platform/?Building - NH 33359 54932 This rectangular platform is on an E-W axis and measures c15m x 3.5m. It is built out to north where the steep slope of stone, turf and bedrock is 1m in height.

752 Slit trenches - NH 33330 54962 On the top of a grassy knoll with a commanding view of the glen these 2 slit trenches almost certainly relate to WW2 defences. The larger one to the east is 4m x 1m x 0.5m deep and the smaller one to the west is 2m x 1m x 0.3m deep.

757 Possible Building - NH 33270 54820 A setting of large boulders, 4m in length, could be the footings of one of the walls of a building. The setting is aligned NW-SE, parallel and close to a small water course.

The central area of Glacour; This area comprises a cluster of buildings to the SE of the main enclosure and a bridge. Buildings 747/E, 748/F and 749/G are situated in quite close proximity to each other to the south of an old ‘clapper‘bridge, 746. The bridge carries a track over the burn; the track runs roughly from west to east through the site. There is a small tributary burn running between building 747 and buildings 748 & 749. The stone wall of enclosure, 750, runs parallel to the main burn on its north side just a few metres to the north of the buildings. A building/possible sheiling, 745, at a higher level to the south overlooks the site.

746 Bridge (Possibly clapper) - NH 33374 54773 The bridge has been carefully constructed using an artificially built up central pier in midstream and stone revetted embankments c4 metres wide to support the outer ends of stone slabs forming the bridge surface. Four stone slabs remain in place, making 2 pairs spanning the whole stream. On either side other slabs have collapsed but remain in situ. It appears there were originally 5 pairs of slabs. Each slab measures c. 0.5 x 1-1.25 metres. Thus the bridge would originally have been wide enough to carry a wheeled vehicle e.g. carts.

747 Building and enclosure € - NH 33401 54744 This building is on a ENE-WSW axis and best preserved in its East wall where both faces can be traced; over a 6 metre stretch there are 2-3 courses of stones still standing. To the East there is a small extension of the wall at right angles bordering an area of tumble beyond which is an area of reeds. The other 3 walls of the building can be faintly traced by low, linear mounds; the west wall is the least clearly discernible, lying very close to the old track which comes up from the ‘clapper’ bridge. Attached to Building 747 on the south side is what appears to be a small enclosure some 14 x 8 metres. Again the enclosure walls are only traceable from low linear mounds.

748 Building (F) - NH 33366 54727 This building is on a NW-SE axis, has a very clear SE wall, some 5 metres in length (externally) and evident from 3 large, basal stones, 2 at the corners. Fairly prominent linear mounds indicate the position of the south and west walls, but there is little clear evidence for the north wall.

749 Building (G) - NH 33375 54751 This building is orientated E-W, has even larger basal stones at the corner, indicating its extent. 3 corner stones remain, between 0.6 and 0.9 metres in width. The external dimensions of the building are c11 x 6 metres. There is some linear mound evidence for the south and west walls but little remains clearly of the others, especially the east wall.

745 Building/Possible Shieling - NH 33312 54494 On an E-W axis and measuring 7m x 4m overall and 3m x 1.5m internally. The walls are substantial, generally of turf and have a 1.5m spread but the west wall is thicker and has a 2.5m spread. The central interior part has a depth of 0.5m. There is an area of verdant grass to the north 6m x 5m.

The west area of Glacour including the cluster of buildings to the SW of the main enclosure.
753 Building - NH 33156 54715 The remains of this rectangular structure are on a small grass covered area in the middle of boggy ground. The building is on a slight platform and aligned N-S axis measuring 4m x 2.5m internally. The walls are of turf are barely discernable and have a spread of 0.7-0.8m. The ends of the building are very rounded.

754 Building - NH 33128 54739 A possible building (marked on 1st edition OS map as partially roofed) on a NW-SE axis is defined at its SE end by a recess into a knoll; it is 3m width by 2m deep. A vague setting of stones at the north end of a grassy platform would make the building 12m long.

755 Building - NH 33079 54738 A rectangular building on a NE-SW axis measuring 6m x 2.5m internally is recessed into a knoll on its west side. There are substantial stone footings to S and N, which are 1m thick and 0.4m in height but the east wall has almost disappeared, possibly robbed of its stone.

756 Building - NH 33126 54800 This building, close and to the NE of the roofed cottage, is on an E-W axis and measures overall 8m x 2.5m internally. It is on a slight platform and defined by occasional moss-covered stones. A partition divides the internal area into two, with the outshot to the east measuring 2.5m x 2.5m and the main/west compartment 5m x 2.5m. <1>

1st Edition OS 6" <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 3322 5484 (569m by 284m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH35SW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	CONTIN

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