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MHG44836 - Sheepfold and possible hut circle - Druim Mhor Osgaig (Loch Vatchan E2)

Summary

A sheepfold and possible hut circle at Druim Mhor Osgaig on the east side of Loch Vatachan.

Type and Period (3)

Protected Status

Full Description

A sheepfold and possible hut circle at Druim Mhor Osgaig on the east side of Loch Vatachan.

NC01SW 4 0221 1087.
At NC 0236 1099 is a circular stone-walled enclosure, almost certainly a hut circle. It measures c13.5m diameter between the centres of a wall, obscured by peat in the NW, tumbled down a slope in the SW, and spread to 2.0m elsewhere. The entrance is in the SE on the uphill side. To the S and W are a few stone clearance heaps and ruinous walls, probably from contemporary cultivation. 180m to the SW at NC 0221 1088 is a platform c7m in diameter strewn with stones, which could be another severely mutilated hut.
Surveyed at 1:10,000. Visited by OS (A A) 17 July 1974.

One hut-circle, an enclosure, a sheepfold, a field-system and some small cairns are situated to E of the public road to Achiltibuie. Situated at the lower end of the site and a short distance from the road, there is a hut-circle, which measures 5.7m in diameter within a stony bank spread to 1.1m in thickness and standing up to 0.3m high. A stone-built pen has been built on hut-circle making (ACHIL94 556, NC 0221 1087). The enclosure, which may be a collapsed sheepfold, is situated at the front of a terrace c.190m NE of the hut-circle (NC 0236 1097). The enclosure occupies a low rise, over which the enclosure is built, giving the impression of a raised interior platform. It measures 11.5m in diameter within a faced-rubble wall 1.2m thick and up to 0.4m high with an entrance on SSE. SW arc is built-up and bank which stands c.0.2m high for most of its arc, rises to 0.4m on either side of entrance. The field-system extends NE from hut-circle for c100m by about 65m transversely, forming one main enclosure defined by low stony banks, with a subsiduary enclosure on its N side, with fragmentary traces of further banks to E. Small cairns are scattered across the field-system, more are located to E of the field and present sheepfold. (ACHIL94 555-6) Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 10 August 1994

202328 910913 Loch Vatachan E 2 , Druim Mhor Oscaig CMM202: The hut circle was visited by A Welti and C MacNeilage in 2010 as part of research for a dissertation on hut circles in Wester Ross. This was part of a degree course overseen by Aberdeen University. This circular structure is close to, but higher in elevation than, CMM201 (see MHG57333), which seems to be part of a linear cluster of 9 HCs. CMM202 is 180m from CMM201, 500m from CMM203 (see MHG7352) and 600m from CMM216 (see MHG26113). The structure has been recently used as a sheep fold. The walls are wide at the base, probably originally the base of a hut circle inner diameter 8m, robbed to form the sheepfold. The outer diameter of this original hut circle is 10.8m. Wall height is not relevant to this survey as repairs have been done to enable use as a fold. A stone wall abuts the HC wall to W of a clear entrance which faces SE. The width of the entrance is 0.75m, both internally and externally. Passage length is 1.5m. There are traces of field walls near the structure. <1> <2>

[Note: a database was set up as part of research for the dissertation and was subsequently expanded as an extension of the We Digs Project (see website link below). The full access database can be made available to enquirers/researchers if requested - contact HER for details].

NGR adjusted to position as seen on 2009 vertical APs. <3>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 0232 1092 (20m by 20m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC01SW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	LOCHBROOM

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