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MHG81 - Farmstead, Muicrach

Summary

Late C18-early C19 farmstead, abandoned 1841.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Two houses, a well-preserved corn-drying kiln and the remnants of an enclosure are situated in a narrow south-facing gully on the West bank of the Allt na Mucaireachd. The settlement was occupied at least by 1801 but abandoned by 1841. Two houses, an enclosure and a head-dyke are depicted in a note on a plan of the farm of Claonlead, 1833. The settlement is surrounded by a substantial turf and stone dyke, which encloses a roughly triangular area, 350m N-S by 150m at the S end, from a point on the Allt na Mucaireachd to the Abhainn a’ Ghlinne Ghil. The A884 road to Lochaline crosses the enclosure from E to W on a high embankment but greater damage to the site seems to have been caused by the stream, which has encroached on the enclosure (Site 3 on sketch plan) and contributed to the dilapidation of House 2.

House 1 is a small round-angled rectangular structure, 5.20m N-S by 4.50m, with an entrance in the E side. Constructed of coursed drystone masonry, it survives to a height of 0.60m. It has been dug into the slope and the S downslope end is built up on a plinth. House 2 is extremely dilapidated and is represented by a rectangular pile of rubble, 8m N-S by 4.10m and 0.40m high. Only fragments of the enclosure, Site 3, remain: an arc of coursed wall curving northwards and westwards from House 1 and another arc on the N side of House 2.

The well-preserved corn-drying kiln, Site 4, consists of a rectangular structure, 5.40m NE-SW by 3.80m, which has been partly dug into the slope. A stone-revetted conical bowl, 1.90m in diameter at the top and 1m at the base, is situated in the centre. A flue opens through the SE sector though the exit has collapsed.

A turf and stone bank, almost rectangular in plan, 9m N-S by 5m, at the foot of the A884 embankment, may be the remains of another structure, disturbed during road construction. The head dyke, Site 6, is a very prominent feature, measuring 1m wide and 1.20m high.
Field Verification Project (West Lochaber) - J Robertson, 03/2004

Two unroofed buildings, one of which has an attached enclosure, and a head-dyke are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Argyllshire 1875, sheet lvi), but they are not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1974).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 20 May 1998

Muicrach: Remains of at least 3 houses and (?) kiln, occupied by 1801, abandoned by 1841, probably cleared c. 1840.
P Gaskell 1968

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NM 7289 5040 (100m by 100m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NM75SW
Civil Parish	MORVERN
Geographical Area	LOCHABER

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (1)