Description

The monument comprises the remains of at least 10 shieling huts flanking a sheltered area of grazing land, together with the remains of a number of enclosures and other small structures.

The monument lies along a stream course, within an area of rough heather moorland near the edge of a high inland cliff, at about 260m OD. Each of the stone-built building remains has a figure-of-eight plan, with an oval hut attached to a small annexe or store by a low lintelled crawl-way. Most of the intervening lintels have been displaced but one example survives with lintels in situ. The wall stones lie for the most part in a tumbled mass, but the footings are still in situ. Turf has clearly been used in the upper levels of the construction. There are traces of two large enclosures situated on the flatter ground of the valley floor, and a more recent sheep-handling enclosure at the W end of the area, not far from the waterfall where the stream plunges over the cliff.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains described and an area around them within which evidence relating to their construction and occupation is likely to survive. It measures 290m NW-SE by a maximum of 120m transversely, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

This monument is of national importance as a fine field example of a shieling ground, with potential to contribute to our understanding of medieval and post-medieval rural settlement and economy.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded by RCAHMS as NM48NE 43.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland