Ancient Monuments

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Achany Glen, settlement 900m to 1850m south of Lairg Station

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

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Coordinates

Latitude: 57.9895 / 57°59'22"N

Longitude: -4.3993 / 4°23'57"W

OS Eastings: 258251

OS Northings: 902552

OS Grid: NC582025

Mapcode National: GBR H7HL.ZJL

Mapcode Global: WH3BR.DGB0

Entry Name: Achany Glen, settlement 900m to 1850m S of Lairg Station

Scheduled Date: 8 March 1962

Last Amended: 26 February 2003

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM2208

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric domestic and defensive: hut circle, roundhouse; Secular: settlement, including deserted,

Location: Creich (Highland)

County: Highland

Electoral Ward: North, West and Central Sutherland

Traditional County: Sutherland

Description

The area now to be scheduled comprises the remains of a large number of prehistoric and later dwelling sites, marked by circular (prehistoric) and rectangular (medieval and later) foundations. Smaller foundations nearby represent outbuildings. Around these dwelling places are well-preserved traces of contemporary field systems, the fields bounded by banks of stone and turf and dotted with small cairns of stone. These cairns are largely the result of field clearance but in a few instances may cover human remains. In addition, there are a number of mounds of burnt stone, probably prehistoric cooking places.

The area now to be scheduled measures a maximum of 985m NNW-SSE by a maximum of 435m WSW-ENE, to include all of the above features and the ground around and between them, in which associated evidence for contemporary agricultural land-use and environmental conditions has been shown, by sample excavation, to survive. The W edge of the scheduled area is defined by the fence bounding the verge of the realigned A836 public road. This scheduling specifically excludes the existing pylons of overhead power lines and all existing fences and gates.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its proven potential to contribute to an understanding of upland prehistoric and later settlement and economy, spanning a date range of well over 3000 years. It can provide important evidence for the nature and date of construction and occupation of a variety of different forms of dwelling, and for the agricultural and other activities practised by their inhabitants.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NC 50 SE 38.

There is a detailed report on the 1988-96 excavations, occasioned by the threat of a realignment of the road running past the site, published as:

McCullagh R P J and Tipping R 1998, THE LAIRG PROJECT 1988-1996: THE EVOLUTION OF AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE IN NORTHERN SCOTLAND, Edinburgh.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Other nearby scheduled monuments

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