Print

MHG9309 - Settlement - Blairmore

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (3)

Protected Status

Full Description

NC70SW 6 7465 0421
(Centred NC 746 042) Tumuli (NR) : Hut Circle (NR)
OS 6"map, Sutherland, 2nd ed., (1907)

On N slope of a low hill at Blairmore, is a large group of small mounds. Some 100 yards NE of hill are remains of a hut circle of the ordinary character with entrance from SE, and a group of ten or twelve mounds lying near. One mound lies directly opposite the entrance and within 20ft of it. Some 30ft SW of entrance is a long low mound lying N-S, measuring 27ft by 16ft tapering towards each end, and 2.5ft high. About 40ft S is another, not quite so high, lying N-S and measuring 22ft by 9ft.
On E flank of the hill are a further two hut circles. The larger of two measures 33ft by 34ft internally, with entrance, 4ft across, from SE. Some 30ft S is another hut circle measuring 18ft by 15ft internally with entrance, 3.5ft wide, in SE. In both huts the banks, 6ft to 8ft across and some 3.5ft high, project to flank the entrances on NE.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909.

Three hut circles (A, B and C) and an associated field system. Huts A and B as described by RCAHMS.
Hut 'C' (probably the first mentioned) is 9m diameter internally, with a turf-covered wall 4m thick and 1m high. The entrance, 1m wide, is in SE. The field system, approximately 160m NW-SE by 90m transversely, is delimited by lynchets, field banks, and clearance heaps.
Hut circles surveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (NKB) 15 2 1966.

(NC 746 042) Settlement (NR) (Three hut circles, A-C)
OS 1:10,000 map, (1971)

On E flank of a hill is a settlement of three hut circles (A-C) accompanied by a field system.
'A', heather-covered, measures 11m diameter inside a collapsed wall 0.6m high with a general spread of 3m expanding to 4m in the sides of a slubbed entrance in SE.
'B', set into the slope and completely heather-blanketed, measures 5m diameter within a wall spread to 2.5m on average and up to 0.5m high; entrance is in SE.
'C', levelled back into slope and turf-covered, measures 20m N-S overall; E wall arc is mutilated and only a conjectural, transverse length of 17m is indicated. The entrance is in SE. Large blocks are evident in the hut build, in particular two contiguous slabs in N, one up to 1m high, that may be inner facing-stones in situ. The collapsed walling where not disturbed is 4m broad and up to 1m high. In comparison with huts A and B, hut C, notwithstanding the poor state of preservation, presents a markedly more robust construction.
The field system is evident in numerous field clearance heaps, spaced on average from 8-20m apart, No measurable plots are discernible. interspersed with occasional signs of lychets and banks.
Revised at 1:10,000. Visited by OS (J M) 12 March 1981.

There are three hut-circles, a burnt mound, and a field-system and small cairns on a heather-covered hill to E of Blairmore.
The three hut-circles lie on a terrace on E of hill. One of huts (ROG95 415) is much smaller than other two; oval on plan, it measures about 5m WNW to ESE by 4m transversely within a stony bank spread to 2.5m in thickness and up to 0.5m in height with an entrance in ESE. The other two are both about 10m in diameter. The wall of E hut-circle (ROG95 417) are up to 3.2m thick anf 1m high; there is a probable entrance gap on SSE and a second gap on NW. W hut-circle (ROG95 416) comprises a stony bank 2.4m thick and 0.5m high; entrance lies on ESE and there is a water-filled hollow in centre of the interior.
The burnt mound lies a short distance to E (ROG95 419, NC 7474 0422) on opposite side of the track from hut-circles. Set against the slope of the hill, the oval-shaped mound measures 6.2m from N to S by 4.5m transversely and 1m in height. There is no trough visible, but there are exposures of burnt, shattered small stones in body of mound.
The spread of small cairns (ROG95 418) extends in a strip about 100m wide over the whole of the hill from road at W to track in E, a distance of 300m. The cairns are up to 5m across by 0.5m high with occasional banks of stone visible, especially where the heather is burnt off.
(ROG95 415-419) Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 21 March 1995

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 7460 0419 (274m by 154m) (3 map features)
Map sheet	NC70SW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	ROGART

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (2)