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MHG66093 - Cultivation terrace - Ard Skinid

Summary

Traces of strip cultivation about 30m west of the hut. This is presumably later than the hut itself, and probably contemporary with the enclosures to the southeast.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

(NC 5958 6172) Cattlefold (NR) (Ruin)
OS 6" map, Sutherlandshire, 2nd ed., (1908)

(NC 5958 6172) Enclosure (NR); (NC 596 617) Three undescribed enclosures.
OS 6" map (1962)

A circular, stone-walled hut, 8.2m in diameter within a wall 0.9m thick, situated on a shelf. The inner face is defined by intermittent blocks on edge, the outer face less well-defined by smaller stones. The entrance, 0.8m wide, in the SE is flanked by an earthfast boulder on either side. A scatter of stones on the north may represent the mutilated remains of a compartment. A course of stones in the SE arc may be a radial projection into the hut of the NE side of the entrance, but it could be fortuitous debris. The three enclosures shown to the SE on the OS 6" map (1962) are of the type that would be called 'planticrubs' in Orkney and Shetland, and there are several more further southeast. There are traces of strip cultivation about 30m west of the hut. This is presumably later than the hut itself, and probably contemporary with the enclosures to the southeast.
Visited by OS (JD) 21 April 1960 and (ISS) 30 June 1971

A hut circle and 'planticrubs' as described by previous field investigator.
Revised at 1:10,000.
Visited by OS (JM) 24 August 1978

If these occurred in Orkney or Shetland they would be described as plantikros. Possibly early structures.
Information from R Lamb to OS, 1980

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.

As described in NMRS from cartographic evidence and site-visits by OS in 1960 (JD), 1970 (ISS) and 1978 (JM). Situated on a grassy shelf below the crags, lies a series of structures the first of which is found to the extreme east of the group. This structure is square in shape with rounded corners, built of earth with occasional stones evident throughout. Internally this structure measures 3.5 m by 3.5 in. One possible entrance lies to the north of the west wall. About 3 in to the west of this structure lies another similar in shape with walls c 1 m thick, measuring internally 5.5 m by 4.5 in. This second structure has stone-footings and is defined by turf-slump, with two gaps in its walls, one in the bottom corner of the east wall and another at the east end of the south wall, although it is unclear whether these gaps are entrances. Inside this structure is a large boulder which measures 2 m by 3 m. These two structures may well be `plantecrues'. Lying 20 m further west is the hut-circle as described in the NMRS. This has a double-skinned wall, which is best defined on the inner face where it is c 8 m in diameter. There is a projection inside the entrance and only the footings remain. The last feature within this group is located a further 25 m west of the hut circle: it consists of three separate rows of stone forming low banks. The banks appear to measure no more than c 0.4 m across. These rows appear to have extended downslope beyond their present end and may well have been defined for cultivation areas. <1>

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

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 5955 6173 (35m by 26m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC56SE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	TONGUE

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (1)