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MHG4300 - Rath Fhinn Hut Circle

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Type and Period (2)

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Rath Fhinn (NAT)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1904)

Near Eileaan MacMulchan of Loch Oich are "two ancient circular construction", caalled Rath Fion on the OS map. They are within 1/4 mile of the island and 120 yards apart. The larger of the two is 64' in internal diameter, with 10' thick walls, and there are traces of interior walls c. 5' thick. The smaller struture, E of the larger, is 48' in diameter within 12' thick walls, with interior walls c. 3' thick. "Both strutures are of the usual dry-stone building."
O Blundell 1910.

"Rathad Fhionn" (Fingal's Road): A portion of pasture ground running out into a point on the SE side of Loch Oich with some local tradition attached to it. (It seems probable that an unknown authority in 1904 corrupted the original name to apply to the duns.)
Name Book 1871.

Parallelled to the duns in Glen Lyon.
Information from OS (A L F Rivet) assistent archaeology officer.

The significant name, "Rath Fhinn", on the OS map 1904, may apply to two duns, one of which is extant.
At NN 3022 9825, at the S tip of Loch Oich is a circular tumble of grass-covered stones, probably the remains of dun 'A'. It has been much mutilated by the removal of stones, possibly for the construction of Wade's road close by. In the W and S walls of the dun, the outlines of two structures can be seen, incorporated into the walls at a later date. The original entrance appears to be in the N.
Nothing remains of the smaller dun, its site being pointed out by Mrs Ross at NN 3030 9836 ('B') in an area now used as a woodpile yard. According to Mrs Ross (Mrs Ross, Station House, South Laggan) it stood higher than dun 'A'. (c/f NN44SE 7).
Surveyed at 1:10560.
Visited by OS (N K B) 10 June 1964.

('A': NN 3022 9825) Dun (NR)
('B': NN 3030 9836) Dun (NR) (site of)
OS 1:10,000 map, (1971)

The surviving circle has been further mutilated by a road crossing it N-S. The E half falls in a garden and has been removed although its course can still be traced as a band of rubble flush with the ground and Blundell's internal diameter of 64' appears to be correct. Only 10.0m of the wall (in the N arc to the W of the road) is well-preserved and here it is spread to 4.5m and is 0.7m high, consisting of turf-covered rubble. There is no trace, here or elsewhere, of facing stones and certainly no large boulders which are one of the main features of the Glen Lyon homesteads. Of the internal walls noted by Blundell, only the faintest suggestion of a bank survives in two places, and this could be due to mutilation which has also left most of the W and S arcs as a hollowed shell edged by two rims misidentified by OS (N K B) as later buildings within the wall.
Its position on the flat floor of the valley and the lack of wall faces rule this out as a dun. Its architecture is identical to many hut circles, and despite its size, its function would seem to be domestic rather than defensive. Its nearest parallel, although slightly smaller, is the hut circle NH41SE 4 (at NH 474 125).
Visited by OS (A A) 15 June 1973.

The enclosure (A) has now been destroyed by chalet development.
Visited by OS (J M) 12 February 1979.

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NN 3022 9825 (100m by 100m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NN39NW
Civil Parish	KILMONIVAIG
Geographical Area	LOCHABER

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