Description

The monument comprises a group of five hut circles dating from the Bronze Age (2,500 BC – 800 BC) to Iron Age (800 BC – AD 400). They are visible as sub-circular earth and stone banks from 13-16m in diameter and are the remains of later prehistoric roundhouses. The hut circles are located on the floodplain of the north bank of the Carnachy Burn, around 380m west of its confluence with the River Naver and at around 40m above sea level.

The internal diameter of the hut circles is around 10-11m across, and the entrances all appear to be located in the south or southeast of the circle. The best preserved of the circles has a wall around 0.6m high and up to 4m wide, while on the least preserved only the northwestern half of the wall remains visible, and one of the other examples includes a visible internal scoop. 

The scheduled area is irregular. It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The national importance of the monument is demonstrated in the following way(s) (see Designations Policy and Selection Guidance, Annex 1, para 17):

a.  The monument is of national importance because it makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past, or has the potential to do so as a group of five upstanding hut circles. They are the remains of later prehistoric roundhouses and provide evidence of later prehistoric settlement in the Strath.

b.   The monument retains structural and physical attributes which make a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past, in particular, upstanding walls and identifiable entrances. There is the potential for the survival of stratified archaeological deposits from which artefacts could be recovered. Environmental sampling of these deposits could recover charcoal for radiocarbon dating along with carbonized seeds and plant material. 

d.   The monument is a particularly good example of a group of five upstanding hut circles - it is therefore an important representative of this monument type – a prehistoric settlement.

e.   The monument has research potential which could significantly contribute to our understanding or appreciation of the past. For example, it has the potential to tell us about the lifestyle of the inhabitants and the nature of the local economy such as agriculture and trade and the chronological development of the site.

f.   The monument makes a significant contribution to today's landscape and/or our understanding of the later prehistoric landscape by providing clearly recognisable examples of prehistoric settlement; evidence of settlement patterns, density, distribution and size of individual settlements; land use and the extent of human impact on the local environment over time.

Assessment of Cultural Significance

This statement of national importance has been informed by the following assessment of cultural significance:

Intrinsic characteristics (how the remains of a site or place contribute to our knowledge of the past)

The monument comprises the remains of five hut circles, representing later prehistoric roundhouses. They  survive as upstanding features and have significant potential for buried archaeological deposits. Roundhouses are the remains of prehistoric buildings, most commonly thought to be dwellings and were in use throughout the Bronze Age (Bronze 2,500 BC – 800 BC) and Iron Age (800 BC – AD 400).

This monument is likely to contain archaeological deposits from which artefacts can be recovered for study and environmental samples gathered for analysis and radiocarbon dating. There is the opportunity to study the roundhouses as a group to determine how they relate to one another, their functions and chronological development the diet and lifestyle of the inhabitants; the nature of the local economy. Detailed study of the roundhouses can tell us about their construction, use, reuse, repair and abandonment.

Contextual characteristics (how a site or place relates to its surroundings and/or to our existing knowledge of the past)

The monument is located on the valley floor of Strathnaver, on the north bank of the Carnachy Burn and to the southeast of Cnoc Carnachadh, at approximately 40m above sea level. To the east and west the ground rises on either side of the River Naver, here running from south to north. Around 300m to the east is the confluence of the Carnachy Burn with the River Naver itself.

Roundhouses are a common monument type in Scotland with upstanding remains primarily surviving in upland areas. There are over 1200 entries in the National Record of the historic environment relating to hut circles in Sutherland; many of the sites include multiple examples. They can be found in association with platforms, field systems, clearance cairns and burial cairns. They range in size and a diversity in form and number can be observed between sites. They are an important indicator of the extent and distribution of prehistoric settlement in Scotland.

There is evidence of considerable settlement in this part of Strathnaver in later prehistory. This includes at least three brochs at Dun Chealamy (SM5632), Dun Viden (SM1860) and Cnoc Carnachadh (SM1850), and further examples of groupings of hut circles, including eight at Loch Ma Naire Burn (Canmore ID 6330) and three at Achanellan Burn (Canmore ID 6301).

As clearly recognisable examples of prehistoric hut circles the monument contributes to the character of the surrounding landscape, providing significant time depth. There is the potential to study the monument in relation to similar sites in the area. This could tell us about the development of the later prehistoric landscape; the density, distribution and size of settlements, the nature of local land use and the extent of human impact on the environment over time.

Associative characteristics (how a site or place relates to people, events, and/or historic and social movements)

We are unaware of any associative characteristics that contribute to this site's national importance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Historic Environment Scotland http://www.canmore.org.uk reference number CANMORE ID 6298 (accessed on 15/01/2024).

Local Authority HER Reference MHG11105 (accessed on 15/01/2024).

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/6298/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland