MHG62137 - Lime kiln - Urchany (Allt na Criche)
Summary
Ruined lime kiln, Urchany (Allt na Criche)
Type and Period (1)
- LIME KILN (Post Medieval - 1560 AD? to 1900 AD?)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
Depop., cairns, etc.
OS 6"map annotated by A L F Rivet (nd)
The field system, partly overlaid by a depopulated steading, is marked by stone clearance heaps, lynchets and walls forming fields varying in size from about 15 m by 10 m to about 50 m by 30 m.
Divorced survey at 1:10,000.
Visited by OS (R L) 17 March 1970
(Name: NH 4555 4550) Settlement & Field System (NR)
OS 1/10,000map, (1975)
This unenclosed settlement comprises the remains of four oval stone-walled houses and two scarped platforms which may represent the sites of timber houses. In the vicinity there are several other platforms of unknown function and also extensive remains of stone clearance, some of which may be of relatively recent date.
RCAHMS 1979 <1>
The North of Scotland Archaeological Society (NoSAS) undertook an archaeological survey of Urchany in 2015.
Site V63; Lime kiln. 5m south of the fence-line, at the crest of a slope to the SW, is a large pit in the ground. The outline is sub-rectangular, 3.5m NW- SE x 2.5m NE-SW. The near-vertical pit is lined with stones, some of which, particularly on the NW side, are up to 0.3m in diameter. However, much of the walls is covered in deep heather, and in the E aspect the wall is tumbled. The base of the pit is relatively flat, 0.7–1.0m deep, and covered in accretions and vegetation. With careful clearing of the heather, detail of culverts emerged in the base of the structure at the SW and E aspects. This structure has all the appearances of a limekiln. It is built on the side of a slope of the hills, thus ensuring access from the NE for carts to fill it. There is at least one opening from the base to allow emptying. <2>
NGR adjusted based on 2015 aerial photographs. <3>
Sources/Archives (3)
- <1> SHG2673 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1979. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of North-east Inverness, Inverness District, Highland Region. . 20, No. 130.
- <2> SHG28596 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Spencer-Jones, R.. 2020. A NoSAS Survey of the Lands of Urchany: A Multi-period Settlement on the Braes West of Beauly: 6th-10th April 2015. North of Scotland Archaeological Society. Digital. p.44 Site V63, figures 121-125. XY
- <3> SHG27328 Image/Photograph(s)/Aerial Photograph/Vertical: Get Mapping. 2015. Getmapping aerial photography 2015.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 4547 4539 (4m by 4m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH44NE |
| Civil Parish | KILMORACK |
| Geographical Area | INVERNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (1)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/12356 (Link to HES Canmore record)
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