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MHG9944 - Broch, S of Church, Loth

Summary

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Full Description

There is a Pictish building on shore below the church (at Loth).
At this spot (Stronrunkie) are the remains of an edifice, resembling the other Pictish buildings in the parish, in which was found some years ago the entire skeleton of a man, who by the size and length of the bones, must have far exceeded in bulk the common standard of the present day. Several deer horns have also been found in digging there. Most of the stones have been used in building the manse, church and a farmhouse.
OSA 1793

There is a large amount of stone lying along the top of a small plateau between the railway and the sea just S of Stronerungie. The site is far too indefinite for any opinions as to its origin. Visited by OS (W D J) 27 May 1960.

A suitable situation is at NC 9720 1059 where there is a small hillock of earth and loose stones, extensively quarried, but remains are too amorphous to classify, although suggestive of a broch platform at a distance.
The nomenclature "Pictish building" implies a broch, though the discovery of human bones is noted. There is no local knowledge of the site and its position remains uncertain.
The site at NC 9768 1114 (located by OS field investigator {W D J}) appears to be entirely recent stone clearance and there are no structural remains (in fact little stone at all) in the amorphous mound at NC 9720 1059 (located by OS field investigator {R L}). This mound is threatened by quarrying.
The most suitable situation is at NC 9764 1117 on SE spur of an isolated hillock, at a point where dry-stone walls make a curious U-shaped detour apparently to avoid an amorphous stony area now with recent stone clearance added. There are a number of large stones here which are suitable for broch construction, but they form no pattern; this is the only place where such stones can be seen. From their configuration the dry-stone walls antedate the railway (about 1870), and are almost certainly contemporary with the farmhouse church and manse mentioned by OSA in 1798.
Visited by OS (N K B) 18 May 1976.

NC91 8 STRONRUNKIE ('Wilkhouse', ‘Loth’)
NC/9764 1117
This possible broch in Loth, Sutherland, was reported as being near the shore by the Rev. G McCulloch in 1798 [2]. Little can be seen now but the likeliest spot is on the south-east spur of an isolated hillock [1].
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. NC 91 SE 3: 2. New Statistical Account, 15, 200: 3. RCAHMS 1911a, 164, no.476b. <1>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 9763 1117 (70m by 70m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC91SE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	LOTH

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