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Seanachaisteal,monastic settlement 300m SSE of

A Scheduled Monument in North, West and Central Sutherland, Highland

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Coordinates

Latitude: 58.5818 / 58°34'54"N

Longitude: -4.7406 / 4°44'26"W

OS Eastings: 240761

OS Northings: 969224

OS Grid: NC407692

Mapcode National: GBR G6N1.K8L

Mapcode Global: WH26K.4KTH

Entry Name: Seanachaisteal,monastic settlement 300m SSE of

Scheduled Date: 21 May 1992

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM5392

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Ecclesiastical: monastic settlement

Location: Durness

County: Highland

Electoral Ward: North, West and Central Sutherland

Traditional County: Sutherland

Description

This monument consists of a settlement, probably a pre-Norse monastery, on a rocky headland.

The site occupies a rocky peninsula lying parallel to the cliffs and approached along a steep-sided knife-edge of rock. The rock surface measures about 36m by 10m and contains two terraced rows of contiguous turf huts roughly 3m square and one foundation 2.5m by 5m. There are 8 huts in the upper row and there are traces of huts in a lower row. A turf parapet runs along the upper side of the rock and may have formed the monastic enclosure.

The area to be scheduled measures a maximum of 70m SW-NE by 40m SE-NW, to include the possible monastic site, as shown in red on the attached plan.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The site is of national importance for its potential contribution to an understanding of early monasticism.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NC46NW 5.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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