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MHG26725 - Ditch and mounds - Allt Dionach, Kirkhill

Summary

Ditch and various mounds at Allt Dionach

Type and Period (2)

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Full Description

The Inverness Field Club, led by Donald Coghill, surveyed a number of sites in the Aird area between 1987 and 1989. East south east of Cnoc na Moine, a short distance from where the two burns meet there is a flat bottomed ditch 6 feet wide with the upcast to each side. This ditch runs south westwards from the Alit Dionaeh burn for 20 yards. If one continues in a southwest direction and roughly parallel to the turf/stone dyke (which is a short distance to the south), there is a deep cross ditch 28 yards long. Further southwest, there is what appears to be a boat-shaped earthwork 25 yards x 10 yards with a ditch on each side. Further southwest there is another indefinite earthwork, and further southwest. still there is a prominent mound 3 feet high and 5 yards in diameter. This mound is opposite a large stone 7 yards to the south.

This stone is situated in a flat bottomed ditch which appears to vary from 6 to 9 feet in width. This ditch is roughly parallel to the turf/stone dyke, and can be traced from the indefinite earthwork to where at its southwest end it curves northwestwards round a D-shaped mound 17 yards in diameter. This mound stands 3 feet high from the bottom of the ditch at the south side. In this area and on the other and south side of the turf/stone dyke, there is 'a very prominent U-shaped earthwork which is probably modern. The other earthworks may be military as in this area may be the now unknown site of Mom Garbh, where William the Lion defeated Donald MacWilliam in July 1187, which preceded the Anglo-Norman feudalisation of the Aird. <1>

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

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 6029 4210 (10m by 10m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH64SW
Civil Parish	KIRKHILL
Geographical Area	INVERNESS

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