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MHG57483 - Building/Possible Shieling Hut/possible still, Coire Buidhe

Summary

Building/Possible Shieling Hut/possible still at Coire Buidhe

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

NH35SE 1 3564 5465
Allt Bail an Uillt Shios Alternative name Coire Buidhe
The Allt Bail an Uillt Shios has a SSE-NNW course entering Loch Meig at Balnault. The 2 buildings, recorded by NOSAS in 2007 as part of the Scotland's Rural Past Project, are situated close together in a secluded grassy depression 1km to the south of Balnault. They are at an altitude of 240m and at the junction of two streams. One building, 805 (MHG24238), is on the east bank of the main burn, above and 10m from it, whereas the other building/probable still, 806, lies 40m to the SW on the other side of the main burn and on the w side of a smaller burn.

806 Building/Probable still - NH 35616 54601 This building takes the form of a rectangular recess on the SE side of a knoll made up of large boulders. It is on an ENE-WSW axis and measures 3.8m x 2.4m internally. The NNW face is made up of large in situ boulders and is 1.5m height; the ENE face is a single in situ boulder 1m in height. The WSW wall is crudely constructed of irregular stones; 0.6m height x 0.8m spread x 1.5m length. The structure is open to the SSE although there is a short stone setting which seems to define its limit. A small burn runs parallel and just 1m away here
Clearly it must have taken a considerable amount of effort to “excavate” the recess for this building. The structure had very squared internal corners and it is difficult to imagine that the internal material was anything other than the awkward large boulders that make up the faces of the recess. It may be that the building 805 was a dwelling place for the folk that worked the still. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2008 APs <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 3561 5461 (13m by 7m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH35SE
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	CONTIN

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