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MHG40583 - Enclosures and terraces - Port Chaligaig

Summary

The main features are a number of enclosures and terraces generally to the south and south.east of the car park and pier at the end of the Droman road, on the west side of the landward end of the An Meall peninsula. .

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

NC 186 592. A house-platform 36' by 18' with low, turf wall, is situated along from the pier; and above it are two rough stone enclosures 33' x 50' and 40' in diameter. The upper slopes are stepped, probably for cultivation.
T C Welsh 1969m.

Situated at NC 1855 5925. Depopulation.
Visited by OS (AA) 19 July 1971.

One roofed building and one unroofed structure are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 1st edition of the 6-inch map (Sutherland 1878, sheet xii), but they are not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10,560 map (1962).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 15 August 1995.

A second archaeological survey of Sandwood Estate in the parish of Eddrachillis was undertaken by ACFA in 2002.

4(a) Port Chaligaig Enclosures and Terraces, centred on NC 187 592

The area surveyed, shown on the plan opposite, is generally to the south and south.east of the car park and pier at the end of the Droman road, on the west side of the landward end of the An Meall peninsula. The main features are a number of enclosures and terraces, the pattern of which continues into the fenced croft field to the northeast (not surveyed).

Features E1-5 Enclosures

Five enclosures (E1-5) are located between 8m and 15m above sea level. They are outlined by large boulders set into the ground at intervals, most likely the remnants of old post and panel walls, where turf or dry stone wall panels filled the gaps between the boulder posts. The interiors of the enclosures are rough grass with rushes and no obvious evidence of cultivation. They measure from 12m by 6m at the smallest (E5) to 30m by 20m at the largest (E1). They have no apparent entrances except at E2 where there is a small gap on the south side. There are two lines of stones between E2 and E4. The possibility that E3, E4 and E5 might be hut platforms is not ruled out. Further stone walled enclosures occur amongst the hollows at the top of the slope and appear to be of a more recent age.

Features T1-11 Terraces

There are eleven terraces (Tl-11) to the east and north of the enclosures, which appear to be of a later date. The terraces are clearly defined from the surrounding landscape by the difference in vegetation within. Each has a smooth grassy and level surface. The terraces have been formed to facilitate the use of land on a steep slope, but do not show any signs of rig and furrow.

T1 This is raised with ditches on three sides and abuts with T2.
T2 This is set into the slope of the ground on its southeast side. Ditches occur on the other three sides.
T3-6 This line of four terraces is revetted on its southeast side by a bank 42m long and Im in height consisting of stones and vegetation.
T7 This terrace is also set against the slope of the hill with a grassy bank falling away
on its north.west side.
T8 This terrace is almost 3m lower than T7 and is bad]y eroded on its north.west side.
T9,10 These are at the bottom of the slope close to the car park level. They are set against the slope of the hill and are surrounded on the remaining sides by small ditches.
T11 The ground between TIO and T11 is rough and has not been drained or cultivated in any obvious way. It is currently designated by the local council as a picnic area.

There are five clearance cairns situated amongst terraces TI to T7, varying in size from 3m diameter by 1.5m high to 1.5m diameter by 1m high.

Features 4a and 4b Enclosures NC 1883 5907
At approximately 30m OD in a fairly flat, boggy area facing southeast over Bagh a Phollain lie two irregular enclosures some 30m apart.

Feature 4a. Under large bosses of rock some 4m high, an irregular area 14m NE-SW by 9.5m NW-SE has been raised slightly above the surrounding bog. The area has been cut into the hillslope in the south and southwest and built up in the north and northeast. Rough stone walling up to 0.3m high above the surrounding area and on average 0.4m wide, defines the area and includes some outcrop. The interior of the enclosure is grassy in contrast to the boggy ground around it.

Feature 4b. Some 30m to the east of Feature 4a another irregular enclosure has been formed by rough boulder walling, 0.5m wide and up to lm high, but including outcrops of bedrock up to 1.4m high in places. The walling encloses a grassy area 16m by 12m.

To the northeast of Feature 4b, below large bosses of outcrop, some stone edging along the base of the outcrop suggests there may have been a track. To the southeast of Feature 4b, at the bend of the outcrop, a small raised grassy terrace 9m by 6m lies against the base of the rock, revetted with small stones. Immediately to the east of this, another terrace 9.7m by 8.7m has been similarly formed, and to the south there may have been yet another, close to the cliff edge, along which there are the remains of an old, much tumbled wall.

Between Features 4a and 4b, in bog and rushes, are two short lengths of rough boulder walling, 10.3m and 2.4m long, which may be the remains of a much older enclosure. In the surrounding area, slightly raised 'terraces' may be natural or very denuded man-made features.

Features 5a-j Terraces, enclosures and stuctures (Not drawn)

Feature 5a NC 1884 5907. At the south end of a rocky spur overlooking Features 4a and 4b to the south, some stones may be the footings of a small rectangular structure, 5.5m
NW-SE by 2.6m NE-SW, standing on a small grassy platform raised above the surrounding boggy area.

Feature 5b NC 1881 5912. At the south edge of a long rocky boss about 4m high, two small terraces have been raised above the surrounding bog. The more easterly terrace is 10.5m N-S by 8m E-W, and is defined to the north by the outcrop, to the south by a stretch of rough walling 13.5m long, to the east by a raised edge and to the west by the other terrace. This westerly terrace is 10.5m N-S by 12m E-W and is defined to the north by the outcrop, to the south by a shallow ditch and to the west by stones, while an outcropping knoll at the southeast comer has clearance piled against it.

Feature 5c NC 1885 5913. Set against an outcrop, a natural flat terrace running N-S and measuring 45m by 14m has a raised rectangular platform 6m by 3m at its north end.

Feature 5d NC 1884 5915. A rectangular area 12.5m N-S by 8m E-W is edged with stones at the south and west, and bounded by a very shallow ditch at the north and the hillslope and bedrock at the east. Clearance material has been piled·on the bedrock.

Feature 5e NC 1883 5916. A complex of terraces has been formed in a relatively flat area between two long rocky outcrops at about 30m OD overlooking Droman pier to the west. A primary raised area 1lm N-S by 7m E-W has ditching 0.2m deep on all sides, and is abutted by other more or less well defined terraces on its south, _west and north sides. That to the south measures 9.5m N-S by 6.5m E-W, that to the west extends to the outcrop and measures 17m N-S by Sm E-W, while that to the north measures 12.5m by 9m E-W and has adjacent to its west side a roughly triangular raised area 12.5m by 9m, closed on its west hypotenuse by outcrop. Along the north edge of this complex runs a 19thC field wall. There are some indications that the terracing may have continued beyond the thus suggesting that the terracing is of earlier date. (The area beyond the wall was fenced off for sheep grazing and was not entered, so this point was not pursued).

Feature 5f NC 1878 5916. AD-shaped platform, edged with stone round its arc to the north, measures 3.5m across and is raised about 0.2m above the surrounding ground. The chord, 7m long, is formed by a slab of bedrock. -

Feature 5g NC 1877 5914. An open-ended enclosure 12m N-S by 7m E-W is defined to north and east by rough stone walling and to the west by a rocky boss. There was no indication of walling at the south end.

Feature 5h NC 1876 5911. The possible footings ofa small structure are visible as stone set on a rectangular raised platform, 2.6m E-W by lm N-S. To the south lies a stretch of degraded walling 5.3m long, with an area of improved ground beyond it. Clearance material has been piled around the edge of the improved area.

Feature 5j NC 1876 5910. Between two stretches of outcrop to the north and south, an old, roughly D-shaped enclosure 21.2m by 6.5m has been re-used to form a pronounced raised platform 9.5m by 6.5m with outcrop along its south edge and ditching dug round the other sides. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 1875 5915 (337m by 218m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC15NE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	EDDRACHILLIS

Finds (0)

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Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (1)