MHG54962 - Stone-lined drain, Balnacarn

Summary

A stone-lined drain running north from the steading at Balnacarn, identified during a watching brief.

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Full Description

A stone-lined drain was identified during a watching brief running north from the farm steading for 3.4m and ending in an unstructured stone-filled hollow. The feature was not going to be disturbed by the works for the hydro scheme so minimum disturbance was undertaken to clarify its nature. The drain comprised a line of base stones with vertical side stones, forming a box channel with capstones placed over. The whole was approximately 0.3m wide and completely filled with silt.
A hollow running north from the end of this feature appeared to be a continuation of the natural watercourse running down the hillside. This had been filled with stones to form a French drain (Feature 2).
It is suggested that the stone-lined drain represents an attempt to drain off water that continued to follow the original route of the burn, which has been diverted around the buildings to the east. The drain is may be contemporary with the buildings depicted on the 1871 Ordnance Survey map or their successors. No dating evidence was recovered. <1>

A detailed plan of the feature is available digitally and is held within the project archive at Highland Council and RCAHMS. <2><3>

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