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MHG26676 - Ridge and pit - Balchraggan

Summary

A ridge and pit at Balchraggan.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

The Inverness Field Club, led by Donald Coghill, surveyed a number of sites in the Aird area between 1987 and 1989.

Ballindoun Farm.
In the corner of rough grazing there is a double ridge of small stones 14 yards long with a trench 3 feet wide between, and running N.E. to S.W. The bottom ridge is 4 yards wide at the S.W. end and 2 yards wide at the N.E. end. The upper ridge fades into the slope of the ground. At the S.W, end there appears to be a silted up rectangular pit at right angles to the stone ridges, and running up the hill for 12 yards. This pit is 3 yards wide and may have extended downhill, but it is difficult to say as there is a former sunken track here leading on to an old road. The top end of the pit is too steep for the track to have been here. To the S.W. of the pit there are very faint signs of a ditch with the upcast forming a terrace on the up side. This can be traced for 70 yards in a S.W. direction. In the arable field to the west there are 2 areas of black burnt soil with small stones, approx. equidistant from this linear mound of small stones and each other. They are not both of the same size, but the black burnt soil tails off in the same N.E. direction as the stony mound. <1>

On the upside of the pit there is a straight row of 5 large, spaced stones running south east up the slope. <2>

Note: Site not visible on aerial photographs so location based on grid coordinates. (T. Blackie 14/06/23)

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 5330 4330 (30m by 30m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH54SW
Civil Parish	KILTARLITY AND CONVINTH
Geographical Area	INVERNESS

Finds (0)

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External Links (1)