Loch Raa Hut Circle, Achiltibuie

Location Map (NC 02132 11872)

Mar 18 Set up/ Mar 25 Clear up
Mar 19-23 Dig
Mar 20 Primary school visit
Mar 21 Open Day

A successful and motivating first dig that saw great community involvement and some fantastic results. The school kids got an opportunity to participate in most aspects of surveying and excavation and the weather was almost good...

The hearth and slab tank we discovered indicated an extended period of habitation and hopefully set the standard for future digs.

See Finds and Results for initial results.

NEW EXCITING RESULTS!

The results are back from the radiocarbon tests analysed by SUERC.

Go to Radiocarbon Results page for more information.

March 18th
Planning trench positions,
Placing site notices,
Making barbed wire fence user friendly!


March 19th
Wet, Windy (gale force), Driving rain, MUD
Shelter in friendly camper van for coffee and cakes
Hearth slab appeared!


March 20th
Cold, Wet, Windy. and more MUDDY
Now routine to shelter in friendly camper van for coffee and cakes
Primary school children visited, surveyed and trowelled.
Video film in progress when weather allowed
Post hole identified, 2nd hearth slab appeared!


March 21
Still Cold, Wet, Windy and MUDDY
Camper van getting rather brown and wet inside!
Spirits raised by appearance of third hearth beside a slab lined ‘tank ‘
Inner and outer wall faces identified


March 22
SUN shone! Less mud!
Working in shirt sleeves instead of several layers of fleece and waterproofs.
Site artist (Gabby Rex) painted trench containing hearths
Soil sampling trench dug, recorded and closed
Trench across wall finished and section drawn


March 23
Section drawing completed.
Neighbouring circular structure planned.
School children revisited, used camera and took soil samples.
Trenches filled in. Sad to bury such an amazing structure!