Print

MHG26689 - Hut circle, ditches and cairns - Creag an Fhitich

Summary

Hut circle, ditches and cairns at Creag an Fhitich

Type and Period (3)

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. West of Blar nam Feinne. 120 yards down from the corner, and outside a high forestry fence, there is a hut circle 9 yards in diameter with walling 1 foot high at the north north west side. Further up, a broad flat bottomed ditch 9 feet wide runs from the top forestry fence (a short distance east of the corner) in a southerly direction and after some distance swings eastwards. It is lost after 300 yards in a forestry track, but traces can be detected further down near a green mound where it finishes above a swamp.

Cairns are on the slope to the west here. Up at the forestry fence corner strainer, another ditch with the upcast to the notheast runs northwest for 20 yards where it enters the firwood and is lost. Just east of the grid in the gateway of the top forestry fence a ditch, 9 feet wide, with the upcast to each side, can be traced running downhill for 50 yards in recent forestry ploughing. On the other and south side of the forestry fence it runs on the same north - south line for 90 yards where it becomes
obliterated by a forestry track. Further on, traces of the ditch appear to be detected in broken ground above a swamp. 28 yards west of where the forestry track comes onto the line of this ditch there is a prominent cairn with a surrounding ditch 5 yards in diameter. Near this cairn and to the north, there is a ditch running northeast - southwest and roughly parallel to the top forestry fence. The total length of this ditch is 570 yards, but there appears to be a gap of 40 yards, which starts 90 yards west of this prominent cairn. The east end of the ditch is at a swampy strip below a knoll. Here there is a parallel and similar ditch 5 yards distant, 20 yards long and with what appears to be a very eroded rampart between.

There appear to be traces of a similar feature further west. Also in this area there is a cairn 7 yards x 8 yards with the surrounding ditch well defined on the west side. This oval mound is 3 yards to the north of the ditch. In the section of the ditch west of the aforementioned prominent cairn, it appears to be 9 feet wide with the upcast to each side, other sections appearing narrower. This ditch is older than the aforementioned broad ditch by which it is cut through at right angles near the west boundary fence. This fence is roughly parallel to the broad ditch at this point. The narrower ditch appears to be fairly straight throughout its length, except that there is a turn in the section east of, and near the 40 yard gap. The ditch is well defined for at least 70 yards in a young fir plantation west of the west boundary fence. 12 yards west .of the aforementioned prominent cairn there is a ditch 20 yards long with the upcast to the west, coming out from the main ditch at right angles in a southerly direction. Also 15 yards east of where the aforementioned broad ditch cuts through this older ditch there is a similar feature with the upcast this time to the east and now forming a terrace 2 feet 6 inches above the short cross ditch which runs in a southerly direction also. There appear to be numerous somewhat similar earthworks in this area which may be connected with wattle shelters for livestock. Some earthworks may be military, as the battle between Malcolm II and Thorfinn was supposed to have been fought on adjacent Blar nam Feinne in 1034. <1>

Note: Sites not visible on aerial photographs so location based on grid coordinates. (T. Blackie 14/12/22)

Sources/Archives (1)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 5890 4290 (100m by 100m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH54SE
Civil Parish	KIRKHILL
Geographical Area	INVERNESS

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (1)