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MHG54530 - Mines and quarries - Little Scatwell

Summary

Mines and quarries -at Little Scatwell

Type and Period (3)

Protected Status

Full Description

The little Scatwell Mica mine/quarries were recorded by NOSAS in 2007 as part of the Scotland's Rural Past Project, Centred on NH 384 572 and situated 500m to the northwest of Little Scatwell House, on an east facing spur overlooking the River Conon and Luichart Dam. The quarries and associated spoil heaps range over an area of 500m ascending the spur from an altitude of 70m to 180m. The area has a cover of commercial forest, although the lower quarry on the east side of the track is in birch woodland. There are 12 discrete quarry faces and associated spoil heaps. They can be divided into 2 groups which appear to have been worked at different periods. Also associated are the remains of a building close to the lower quarry.

096 Building - NH 38528 57298 On a NW-SE alignment and depressed into the slope the remains of this building measure 4m x 2.5m internally. It is recessed into the slope on the S side where the face is 1.5m height. The northeast wall is of dry stone construction and 0.7, in height but roughly 0.4m of this height is recessed. There is an entrance 1m in width at the N corner. Because of its sunken nature it was thought that this building may have been a store for explosives.

097 Lower group of mines/quarries - comprises 6 worked faces and associated spoil heaps of varying size and height spaced irregularly over the lower part of the spur. Of the 2 groups this appears to have been worked at an earlier stage.
1 NH 38558 57295 - the east most or lower face
2 NH - on the west side of the track just inside the forest
3 NH - a few metres to the SW of 2 this is quite small and irregular
4 NH - c.50m to the west of 2 and 3, quite small
5 NH 38366 57227 - the largest of the lower group measures 30m x 15m with a 5m high face at the west end and 1m face at the east end
6 NH - *

098 Upper group of mines/quarries - comprises 6 worked faces in close proximity to one another and spread over an area of 200m x 50m on the north side of the upper part of the spur. These quarries are much larger than the lower ones and some of the worked faces reach a height of 10m. Two free standing pinnacles of heights 6m and 10m indicate the original land surface and the extent of the quarrying. These mines were worked during WW2. <1>

* (no further information in report - T. Blackie 19/5/2017)

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 3848 5725 (188m by 131m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH35NE
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	CONTIN

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