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MHG53112 - Possible Hut Circle and Field Walls - Loch Borralie North-west

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

a) Very tumbled oval or subcircular structure built on to limestone outcrops. One course of stone walling visible, composed of basal quartzite. Mixture of large angular blocks (some orthostats still in situ) and smaller subangular rubble. Measures 9.2 m NNW/SSE by 9.8 m WSW/ENE internally. There are tumbled remnants of an inner and outer skin of stone with a rubble inner core, but no stretch of the wall has all three elements intact together so impossible to get an accurate wall width. Walls are spread up to 2 m-2.5 m wide. Old ground surface or occupation deposits (with shell) evident in the interior. The SE quadrant of this structure is still under a turfed dune, making measurements difficult, but some of the structure may survive better beneath it.

b) A short arc of walling runs NE for 4 m from the structure but is also very eroded.

c) 3 m WNW of (a) is another line of possible walling (though much of it looks like limestone bedrock), 5.6 m N/S.

d) 13 m WNW of (a) is a much tumbled (sand and turf covered) structure built on a raised limestone outcrop. Very difficult to make sense of but there seems to be a short curvilinear stretch of walling (2 skins), aligned NE/SW. This extends for 2.1 m and is 1.2 m wide and is formed mainly of quartzite conglomerate blocks. More of the structure may survive beyond the edge of the gully to the N and NW.

e) At the SE of the turf-covered dune over the SE quadrant of structure (a) is a line of walling aligned NNW/SSE which runs for 72 m.
Within deep eroded gully, between 0.1-1 m below present undulating surface of stable dunes. Overlooks Loch Borralie to SE.
Hut circle or other form of prehistoric structure, with associated field or enclosure walls.
Recommendations: Rescue excavation to establish character and date of the remains before they are irretrievably eroded. <1><2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	NC 3819 6762 (point) Approximate
Map sheet	NC36NE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	DURNESS

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Related Investigations/Events (1)

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