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MHG57609 - Hut circle - Loch Feur C (Sidhean Donne 2)

Summary

A Hut circle near Loch Feur.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A Hut circle near Loch Feur. Hut circle C in the original 1965 OS survey. (Formerly included as part of MHG7720.)

In area centred at NG 804 779 about 300 ft. OD. On sheltered SE slope of the hill above Loch Feur, there are the remains of 3 hut circles, several greatly mutilated enclosures and the footings of a rectangular building 5m x 3m. X 0.3m high. The enclosures were constructed with large boulders but are now almost completely overgrown with heather. The hut circles, which have 1m wide entrances in E, apart from 'A', are constructed of large stones forming an inner and outer kerb and small stone infilling. Their dimensions are as follows:
'A' Internally 9m diameter with walls 3m thick by 1m high. A significant feature of this hut circle is entrance which is 1.3m wide in the inside and 2m on outside.
'B' Internally 8m diameter with walls 1.7m thick by 0.6m high overgrown with heather.
'C' Internally 6m diameter with walls 1.8m thick by 0.6m high almost completely heather covered.
Surveyed at 1/2500 and 1/10560. Visited by OS (RD) 8 April 1965; Visible on RAF air photographs CPE/ Scot/UK 183:1288-9.

NG8058 7786: On a north-east facing hillside in a' Chlib of Gairloch is a hut circle at an elevation of about 95m OD. Its internal diameter is 6.1m x 6.3 and the walling of stone spreads to a thickness of 1.6m-2.6m. A doorway is evident at a bearing of 88 degrees grid; there are the remains of a structure immediately adjacent externally to the doorway. The ambient vegetation is heather, Molinia and moss. About 25m south of the circle a small cell ca. 1m in size is built against the face of a boulder. From this boulder and to the east of it a setting o isolated stones encloses a sub-circular area ca. 15m-20m in extent. The hut circle, but not the setting of isolated stones is shown on the OS map. <1>

This site was not detected during a walkover survey in April 2008 due to thick heather cover. A buffer zone of up to 20 metres is recommended to avoid any accidental damage during site works. <2> NOTE: it is clear that this site was not actually visited as 2009 APs show the hut circles to be largely clear of vegetation - IS-L 24/01/2018.

180586 877839 Sidhean Donne 2 JW003: The hut circle was visited by J Buchanan and M Marshall in 2009 as part of research for a dissertation on hut circles in Wester Ross for A Welti. This circular stone structure is in poor condition, sunk into the peat and heather with few stones visible. It is one of a group of 3 HC's (MM004 (see MHG57604), JW002 (see MHG4420), JW003) set on an east facing slope above Loch Feur with panoramic views inland. The site is at a distance of 200m from a stream, 400m from freshwater Loch Feur and 1000m from the sea. The surrounding landscape is mainly heather covered with some grass with evidence of field walls. The enclosures mentioned in the 1965 record are no longer visible. The HC platform is dug into a gentle east facing slope. Average inner diameter is 6.25, outer diameter is 9.1m. The double skinned wall is 1.7m thick, with maximum height 0.5m. The probable entrance faces southeast, with internal width 1.4m, external width 1.4m and passage length 1.9m.This entrance terminals might be extended but it is hard to tell due to tumble. JW003 is at a distance of 300m from MM004 and 300m from JW0002. <3> <4>

GIS spatial data amended in 2018 to location as shown on 2009 APs. <4>

Sources/Archives (5)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 8058 7785 (15m by 15m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG87NW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	GAIRLOCH

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