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MHG39219 - Probable Ring Cairn - Doire Domhain

Summary

Site of probable ring cairn into which clearance has been deposited. The feature has also been interpreted as a stone circle.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

In 1997, features were observed and briefly noted in a survey by the ACFA, under the crags to the north of the settlement of Doire Domhain. The area they were identified at was a flattish terrace of land, 250m by 100m at its widest at an elevation of 130-140 OD. It was dominated by a 30m high rocky scarp along its eastern side and fell away steeply towards the shore on the western side. The whole area has a grand panorma from the southwest to the northwest over the Sound of Raasay snd the Isle of Skye. The area contained four roughly circular features set among extensive rig and furrow with two field banks on the south side with a third running north to south on each side of the precipitous scarp. The whole area is grass covered with much heather and is nearly always wet.

The second feature recorded from this area in the ACFA's 2004 publication of surveyed cairns on Raasay was a ring cairn. It appeared as a pair of concentric stone circles protruding through heather and grass 110m from the kerb cairn (MHG39189). The outer circle had a diameter of 10m E-W and 9m N-S. The internal ring had a diameter of 6m and the rings were 0.9m apart. None of the stones were greater than 0.5m in height. Probing of the interior with a steel spike suggested a stoney surface just below the turf. The area was grass covered with much rough heather and was usually waterlogged.

In October 1999, turf was stripped from the NE quadrant, covering an area 8m by 6m. The stony area was confirmed with nothing lying outside the circles. The stones of the interior were mostly angular fragments of Torridonian sandstone all packed with a black soil material. No attempt was made to clear the interior or find the basal layer as flooding and waterlogging of the site was unmanageable. The structure was believed to be a small ring cairn onto which clearance had been dumped from the agricultuarl activity which took place immediately to the east; rig and furrow occurs just to the east on an E-W axis. <1>

GIS spatial data is an approximate locaction based on site location description.

Sources/Archives (1)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5549 4461 (80m by 80m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG54SE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	PORTREE

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (1)