Monument record MHG11603 - Skelpick Lodge

Centred on NC 728 563, on a plateau above the steep north east side of the Slelpick Burn, is a settlement of 4 hut circles ('A'-'D'), at which huts A,C and B are on slight rises.
'A' is of massive proportions with an unusually thick wall. It measures 11.8m south west-north east by 10.3m transversely within a wall whose width marked by occasionaly facing stones is 3.8m at the entrance passage in the south west reducing to 3.0m in the north. Two portal stones 1.5m apart mark the interior of the choked entrance. A sub-rectangular dry stone cell opening from the hut interior is set into the wall to the west of the entrance; it measures 3.4m by 2.1m internally and stands to 0.9m high of up to 4 courses of drystone masonry. It is north east end where the entrance probably occured is obscured by tumble. Due to its better state of preservation this feature may be secondary, although it does not appear to overlie the wall and it is well built unlike a shieling or animal shelter (see NC55SE 10 for similar arrangement).
'B' masked by peat and heather is set into the slope on the north side. It is about 7.5m in diameter within a low wall spread to 2.0m and 0.4m high with occasional inner and outer facing stones visible. A slight depression in the south south east probably denotes the entrance. From the east and south arcs of the hut extremely vague, denuded walls extend down the hill south eastwards.
Hut 'C' is a strongly built similar to 'A', and measures about 11.5m in diameter within a wall spread to 3.0m wide, with an external height of 1.2m. The wall is severely reduced for a length of 5.0m in the north north west arc. Immediately west of the entrance in the south east, the hut wall expands to a width of 4.5m to accommodate what is almost certainly the corbelled chamber of a souterrain, choked with stones. It measures about 2.3m along the length of the hut wall by about 1.5m transversely. At its west end is a transverse slab in situ, possibly defining the inner end of a passage, though there are no other remains of a passage. One or two probable displaced lintel slabs from the chamber lie around.
Hut 'D', similar to 'B', is 9.5m in diameter within a wall spread to 2.0m and 0.5m maximum height. The entrance was almost certainly in the east arc, where there is an enlarged gap, 6.0m wide.
There is a minor field ststem in the vicinity of the huts where the ground is relatively stone free. Several lynchets and ruinous stone walls, but only one or two stone clearance heaps, are visible. No measurable plots can be identified.
Surveyed at 1:10000.
Visited by OS (J B) 25 August 1977.