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MHG32312 - Hut Circle - Camore Woods

Summary

A hut Circle in Camore Woods.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A hut circle at Camore Woods. Recorded by the OS as Hut circle 'E'. The hut circle is marked on the 1st edition OS map.

('A' NH 7807 8960) Hut Circle (NR)
('B' NH 7806 8936) Hut Circle (NR)
('C' NH 7778 8950) Hut Circle (NR)
('D' NH 7762 8952, 'E' NH 7752 8946) Hut Circles (NR) (2 shown)
('G' NH 7742 8938, 'Z' NH 7738 8933) Hut Circles (NR) (2 shown)
('H' NH 7731 8951, 'J' NH 7722 8941) Hut Circles (NR) (2 shown)
('M' NH 7703 8936) Hut Circle (NR)
('N' and 'O' NH 7715 8933, 'Q' NH 7713 8926) Hut Circles (NR) (2 shown) ('S' NH 7722 8922, 'Y' NH 7725 8916, 'T' NH 7724 8921) Hut Circles (NR) (3 shown)
('U' NH 7722 8900) Hut Circle (NR)
(NH 770 893) Cairns (NR)
(NH 771 894) Cairns (NR)
(NH 773 894) Cairns (NR)
(NH 7740 8936)Cairn (NR)
(NH 7762 8951) Cairn (NR)
OS 6" map, (1959)

Some 300 yards SE of the cairn (NH78NE 1) near the centre of Camore Wood, at the edge of a clearing, is a hut circle (possibly Hut 'L'). It measures 30' x 34' internally, within a bank 5' 6" to 6' thick except at the entrance, in the SE, where it projects outwards on either side to form a passage 10 or 11' in length and 9' in width.
On top of a knoll some 300 yards S is a circular enclosure 28' internal diamter, within a bank 6' thick. The interior has been hollowed out.
The entrance, from the NE is 6' wide. There are several small mounds and the remains of a few simple oval hut circles about the wood at this point, but undergrowth and planting have obscured the details.
Four of the 'hut circles' noted on the OS map in the E half of the wood have more the appearance of cattle enclosures.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909.

Centred at NH 775 894 is a settlement of 25 stone-walled huts ('A' to 'Y') and the remains of a contemporary field system.
All the huts are circular and with the exception of 'D', 'E', 'I', 'L', 'M', 'O' and 'P', are formed by a wall spread to a regular width all round. Huts 'C' to 'Y' are mutilated by reafforestation.
Apart from 'D', 'L', 'O' and 'P' the measurements are given between wall centres.
'E' measures c. 14.0m in diameter with the wall spread to c.2.5m in the N, but too reduced to measure elsewhere. The entrance, in the S, is poorly defined.

The 'cairns' published on OS. 6", where evident are stone clearance heaps. Together with a few others, an occasional lynchet and a few field walls, they indicate the remains of a contemporary field system which has probably been most destroyed by forestry operations.
Except for hut 'L' it is impossible to relate the RCAHMS information with any degree of certainty to any of the huts.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (R L) 31 March 1971.

The site was scheduled with a number of others in the near vicinity in 1975.

The hut circle was recorded by Dornoch Heritage Society in 1993. Site E 8: Plan: It is 14m in diameter with walls spread to 2.5m at the N, but too reduced to measure elsewhere. The entrance, to the S, is poorly-defined. <1>

5898: SAM MP 2003: SE facing entrance c13m across. Partially cleared, but 2 trees on wall & a number of fallen trees within 10m of hut circle. Majority cleared back. Bracken.

Site not visible on available vertical APs. GIS spatial data amended in 2019 according to depiction on OSMA WMS mapping. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 7752 8944 (20m by 20m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH78NE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	DORNOCH

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