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MHG65822 - Military buildings - Fharaid Head

Summary

The remains of three or four buildings.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A rapid coastal zone assessment survey was conducted by GUARD in the Autumn of 1997 commissioned by Historic Scotland from the Viking and Early Settlement Archaeological Research Project based at the University of Glasgow.

At the north of the headland, on a grassed slope above the cliffs, are the remains of three or four buildings, The northernmost example is a platform measuring 5 m by 5 m with a concrete block on its west side. The rest of this platform is levelled into the slope and defined by spreads of stone and concrete rubble below turf. A plastic pipe set within the concrete block at the west is possibly a ventilation shaft, suggesting that this is only the top of a now-blocked underground structure. To the south of this is a rectangular spread of stone and concrete rubble with twisted iron girders poking through. To the south of this are a further two platforms, both of which measure 5 m E-W by 4 m internally. These platforms are levelled into the slope, defined by broad banks and exhibit traces of concrete rubble. This complex would appear to be a partially subterranean military installation that has been systematically destroyed on abandonment<1>

NGR adjusted based on 2020 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 3890 7172 (52m by 52m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC37SE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	DURNESS

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Related Investigations/Events (1)

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