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MHG31899 - Boundary Dyke - Allt Smeorail

Summary

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Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

Linear boundary Dyke, NC 84938 10925 to NC 84868 11320.
At the edge of the W bank of Allt Smeòrail, this 400m long, valley-parallel feature begins rather indistinctly as a low turf dyke, 0.8m wide and 0.3m high, containing occasional stones, but mainly discernible by its preferential heather growth. It trends from here towards 318 degrees, obliquely uphill through marshy ground, where it becomes almost completely indiscernible to 284917 910947, where it is best observed by its shadow when the sun is low. It continues to a slight bend at 284903 910978, and on to another at 284897 910998 on the dry crest of a small knoll, where it is associated with a 0.2m deep, 1.5m wide ditch on its W, uphill side.

From the knoll, it traverses across a fresh heather-covered, gentle slope to a slight bend at 284896 911016, where the ditch becomes obscured in a grassy marsh area, to a further slight bend on drier ground at 284897 911055. From here, it becomes a more prominent, bracken-capped feature, and on to another slight change of direction at 284896 911096. It now trends obliquely uphill as a major feature in the landscape, 0.8m high and 0.8m wide, enhanced by its preferential bracken topping.

At this level on steeper, E-sloping, heather-covered ground, the dyke continues to curve around the hillside features, broadly parallel with the contours, to 284890 911151, where, due to the nature of the topography, the height of the downhill side of the dyke is greater at 1.0m, than the uphill side, and on to 284881 911183, curving gently to a bend at 284875 911214. More stone is visible in the dyke's construction over this section as its vegetation cover reduces.

The dyke continues, becoming covered with bracken again, to a bend at 284866 911259, and on to a slight bend in the opposite, clockwise direction at 284856 911272, to another at 284849 911290, where it is 1m wide and 0.8m high on the downhill side, with a waterlogged ditch on its uphill side. It changes direction sharply to the NE at a prominent corner at 284852 911310, from where it trends downhill with an associated, deeper ditch containing flowing water on its N, uphill side. It ends at 284868 911320 on the S bank of a 2m deep, E-flowing burn gully. <1>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 8493 1092 (50m by 50m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC81SW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	CLYNE

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