Monument record MHG10823 - Scottarie

NC80NW 10 centred on 803 085.

NC 803 085. 'Scottarie', a large area of depopulation, within which are the remains of seven rectangular buildings with associated enclosures and two kilns. The buildings vary in size from 30.0m by 4.0m to 5.0m by 3.5m with walls up to 0.7m in height.
Visited by OS (W D J) 25 April 1964.

A township comprising six unroofed buildings, an enclosure and a field wall or head-dyke is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1879, sheet xcvii). Eight unroofed buildings, five enclosures and some field walls are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10,560 map (1969).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 1 November 1995

Settlement of Scottarie (Lower) consisting of 3 unroofed house remains situated on raised ground between 2 branches of Scottarie Burn, lying close to the NW branch. House No 1. North-eastermost remains (and furthest down the glen) are10m by 4m and are aligned 050 degrees. Wall remains are 0.8m thick and the SW gable end is a mass of rubble. Doorway not apparent. Building stone is mainly angular, but not dressed. A roughly trapezium-shaped kale-yard, enclosed by stone walls, extends some 13m from the NW side of the house and is raised above the surrounding land. An entrance to the kale-yard exists at the junction of the wall with the W house corner. In the intervening ground between the house and the nearby sheepfold at NC 80764 09113 is a field of clearance cairns. House No 2. 8m SW of House No 1 and trending 066 degrees, these remains are 28m by 3m and have a bay (approximately 3m by 3m) on the NW and SE sides at the SW end. The NE gable end is missing. The buidling blocks are more rounded and the corners are less defined than House No 1. Walls are approx. 0.5m high and 0.8m thick. Possible traces of a doorway 4m from the NE end on the SE side. Boulder walls peter out half way along the remains to the NE, to leave grassed mound walls with buried rocks. A wall runs from the NW bay and ends at the river bank to the NW. To the NW of the house remains are the extremely well-preserved remains of a corn-drying kiln. The bowl, in particular, is in excellent condition. The remains measure 7.5m by 3.5m and the bowl is at the upslope, SE end. House No 3. Joined to the SW gable end of House No 2, these remains are 11m by 4m and trend 066 degrees. The wall remains are 0.8m high and are formed of more angular blocks than House No 2, and have well-formed angular corners, both internally and externally. Doors appear to be on both NW and SE sides, situated roughly centrally. A stone-built wall extends from the S corner of the building and encloses, in a broad semi-circle, an area of ground to the river bank.
NC 80669 08982. Small stone-walled enclosure, 6m by 8m, with nearest wall 2m from NW bank of branch of Scottarie Burn, overgrown with deep heather.
NC 80334 08650. Very well-preserved corn-drying kiln at settlement of Upper Scottarie, trending 061 degrees. Stone-lined bowl at upper, SW end.
Single longhouse footings, 32m by 4m, orientated 044 degrees with 4m by 4m bay on NW side. A stone wall, 1m high, departs the building and ends at the bank of the burn to the NW. A stone-walled enclosure with angular corners exists at the SW end of the structure and a fertile area of closely-cropped grass is found immediately to its SE. A low grassy, stone dyke extends NE form part way along the SE side of the structure, enclosing the above-mentioned grassy area to its SW. The dyke is composed of fewer rocks and more peaty turf on the SE side of a burn flowing down from Meall Horn to the SE. At NC 80540 08486, the dyke is joined by another similar structure from a bearing of 015 degrees.
NC 80556 08291. Low, rounded-stone walls indicate the remains of a house, 15m by 4m, trending 008 degrees. It is now very boggy inside the wall remains. A fairly level grassy enclosure is bounded by stone walls to its E side.
NC 80557 08251. Stone-walled longhouse, 28m by 3.5m, trending 057 degrees, with a doorway midway on the SE side. On the NW side is an elongated bay, 6m by 3m, tucked into the N crook of the former bay. The SW gable end is composed of large building stones and is over 1m high. Other walls of this structure are generally 0.5m high. From the S corner of the structure, a dyke comprising a low, single row of boulders, trends SW some 50m plus to the NE corner of a grassy area anclosed by a 14m by 14m wall, largely overgrown by deep heather.
Information supplied by Dr N Lindsay, 18/02/01.
See Report 929.
J Aitken : 20/08/02.