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MHG7491 - Hut circle - Meall Na Dubh-Clais (Dubh Chlais 1)

Summary

A hut circle at Meall Na Dubh-Clais.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

Loch Chorcasairigh. Hut Circle: NG 80044 7859. A hut circle is situated at an elevation of 95m on the top of a small knoll 120m from the shore at the northern end of Loch Chorcasairigh (wrongly named Loch Coire na- h-Airigh on the OSM). The diameter internal of the circle is ca. 7m and the entrance is at 97 degrees grid; a struture is visible extending externally from the doorway. The walling is of stones and some peaty turf. The ambient vegetation is: fine grass, heather, and bracken inside the circle; Scirpus, heather and moss outside. Two small pens have been built inside the hut circle and 10m down the slope to the southeast of the entrance are the remains of the stone wall of a structure like a shieling bothy. Some 10m to the west of the hut circle a wall or line of isolated stones runs for about 120m up the slope, from a little above the loch shore, at its top it runs at the east side of a hollow in which some stonework and one or two green spots are to be seen here and there. Another hut circle (site name Meall na Dubh-chlais) lies 100m to the north (see MHG7522). Neither the hut circle nor the setting of isolated stones are shown on the OS maps. <1>

Renumbered from NG87NW0020B
Jhooper, 29/8/2002

180418 878578 Dubh Chlais 1 JW001: The hut circle was visited by J Wilson and J Buchanan in 2009 as part of research for a dissertation on hut circles in Wester Ross for A Welti. This circular stone structure is set on a natural knoll, dug into and built out from a gentle south facing slope above Loch Coire na h-Airigh, with panoramic views inland. The structure is at a distance of 300m from a stream, 80m from the freshwater Loch Coire na h-Airigh, and 1500m from the sea. The surrounding landscape is covered with a mixture of heather and grass with some bracken. Field walls, shieings and an enclosure are visible in the landscape. There is a shieling hut to the south of the southeast facing entrance, and two structures, possibly pens, are set in the interior of the HC, (see sketch). Vegetation in the interior of the HC is mainly heather with some grass and moss. Average internal diameter is 6.95m, external diameter is 9.2m. The double skinned wall is around 1m wide with maximum height 0.5m. All measurements being approximate as many stones are obscured by turf and heather. The possible entrance faces southeast with internal width 1.5m. The entrance passage is 3m in length, indicating extended entrance terminals. JW001 sits below MM003 at 200 m distance. <2> <3>

[Note: a database was set up as part of research for the dissertation and was subsequently expanded as an extension of the We Digs Project (see website link below). The full access database can be made available to enquirers/researchers if requested - contact HER for details].

GIS spatial data amended in 2018 using 2009 APs. <4>

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 8041 7859 (16m by 16m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG87NW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	GAIRLOCH

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External Links (2)