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MHG9134 - Creag Dail

Summary

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Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

At NC 0770 1349 is a circular stone-walled hut measuring 11.3m in diameter within a wall averaging 1.3m thick. The inner face of contiguous stones on edge is well-preserved in places, and the outer face, though less well built, is evident here and there. A featureless gap in W represents entrance.
Surveyed at 1/10,000. Visited by OS (A A) 7 August 1974.

The circle is built on a hillock which slopes away on all sides, quite steeply to W, SW and S, less so on N and NE. Only two or three courses are visible above ground level. To E it gives impression of having been artificially built up, but this may be no more than result of the tumbling boulders from outer wall. If entrance was through the " featureless gap in the W" approach to it was very steep, and unusual for a hut-circle in being located on its W side. The plan shows possible entrances on both N and the E sides, but these too have steep approaches. This suggests that structure may possibly have been a fortified roundhouse rather than a simple circular dwelling, or at least that the site was deliberalely chosen to be defensible against all but a major assault. The view from site commands whole of valley below to point where R.Pollaidh reaches sea, so it may have been designed to serve as look-out and guard house combined with living quarters. Its position would also enable it to signal by line of sight direct to the Cnoc na Dail dun, but there is of course no evidence that two sites were contemporary.
Lochbroom Field Club, Colin Scouller - date : 07/99.
See assoc. docs. File.

The hut circle was visited by A Welti and K Clarke in 2009 as part of research for a dissertation on hut circles in Wester Ross. This was part of a degree course overseen by Aberdeen University. The description logged by Colin Scouller in 1999 applied in 2009, except that most stones which were visible in 1999 are now covered in moss. The structure is circular, average internal diameter 10.75m, external diameter 15m. Walls are double skinned, thickness 2m, maximum height 0.3m and entrance is unclear. This structure may be associated with KC02 (MHG44746) which has similar dimensions. <1> <2> [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 if requested - contact HER for details]

Sources/Archives (7)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 0770 1349 (100m by 100m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC01SE
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	LOCHBROOM

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External Links (2)