Description

This post medieval settlement consists of the remains of a long house, an enclosure, an oval mound and a sheepfold. The long house is 32m long and 5.5m wide. The walls are defined by lines of boulders, 2 or 3 courses high in places and about 1m thick. The building is divided into 3 compartments, each with an entrance from the E.

The enclosure is 22m by 28m is three-sided and attached to the long house. The walls are much denuded. Nearby are the remains of an oval mound about 13m by 6.5m which consists of a low earth bank heavily overgrown with heather and with a hollow in the centre. Nearby is a circular stone walled sheepfold. The whole complex is defined by a dyke.

The area to be scheduled measures 280m NW-SE by 125m NE-SW, to include the long house, enclosure, mound, sheepfold and dyke. The area is defined to the S by the Achnaclyth-Loedebest road and on the other sides is taken 15m beyond the dyke which defines the settlement area. The roadstone quarry beside the road is excluded from the scheduled area. The area to be scheduled is shown in red on the attached map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The site is of national importance for its potential to contribute to an understanding of post medieval settlement, land use and the process of the Clearances in this area of Caithness.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is number DB18/18 in Dr A Morrison's survey of Dunbeath Eatate

Source: Historic Environment Scotland