Description

The monument consists of three prehistoric hut circles, the remains of a post medieval building and part of the field system of a post medieval settlement. Hut 'A' is set into a low spur and is 7.5 by 6.5m with a wall 0.3m high and 2.5m wide. A simple entrance is visible on the SE. A later turf covered dyke, associated with an early modern settlement, skirts the hut on its NW. Hut 'B' is on a low spur above the W bank of the Dunbeath Water.

This hut is 8m in diameter with a wall about 2m wide and 0.4m high. The E portion of this hut has been destroyed through erosion by the Dunbeath Water. Traces of internal divisions within this hut may indicate that it was an aisled round house. Hut 'C' is on a S facing slope and is 7.8m in diameter within a wall 2.2m thick and 0.5m high. The entrance appears to have been on the SW. This hut has a stone built wall defining a small annex to the W.

Faint traces of possible contemporary cultivation occur to the S and W of hut C. At ND09373370 are the foundations of a rectangular building 10m by 4m in size. This is a post medieval building which is associated with the system of

enclosures and field walls to the W of Achnaclyth.

The area to be scheduled measures a maximum of 540m E-W by 380m N-S. The area of the sheep pens to the SW is excluded. The area to be scheduled includes the prehistoric round houses, the post medieval building and field system, as shown in red on the attached plan.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

This monument is of national importance for its potential to contribute to an understanding of prehistoric and post medieval settlement and the process of the Clearances in this area of Highland Scotland. The hut circle settlement incorporates important information on the domestic organisation and agricultural activities of a prehistoric community.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as ND 03 SE 8, 9 and 16.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland