Monument record MHG11880 - Possible broch, Achaness House

NMRS Notes:
NC40SE 3 4701 0253.
Broch (NR) (remains of) OS 1:10,000 map, (1971)

The remains of a broch now consisting of a grass-covered mound 2m max height. Several large stones protrude, particularly on E & S sides and the slopes are strewn with rubble. No wall-face is visible, but there are indications of walling on SE side. The diameter of top of mound is 14m and entrance may have been on NW.
Surveyed at 1:2500. RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909. <1>

No change to previous field report of 26 May 1963.
Visited by OS (J B) 9 September 1976.

Cup-marked stone reported by Alastair Macrae of Rosehall, Sutherland on 1 December 2003. He reports that the stone is on the south side of the top of the broch mound, about 3-4 feet wide and the same high. The cup markings have ben revealed by poaching from cattle and sheep and there are about 5 or 6 of them, perfectly hemispherical and 2-3" diameter. They are at the base of the flat side of the stone, facing north.
John Wood 1-12-2003

Photos of cupmarks in SMR provided by Mrs L Byron. She reports that the area to SE of the main broch structure is raised above the plain and has stone work on it - are these outworks etc ? NB both the brochs are marked as "Pictish Tower (ruins)" on 1st ed OS - HAW 12/2003

Douglas Scott has surveyed this site and suggests that "this possible broch is actually the remains of a large kerbcairn" (burial cairn). "From the centre of the "cairn" the cupmarked stone is in line with where the southern major standstill moon will set every 19 years. The cupmarks would have faced into the cairn and this is similar to the fallen cupmarked kerbstone at the Tordarroch Clava-type ring cairn at Farr to the south of Inverness. The Tordarroch kerbstone is also in line with the setting southern mon. A smilar orientation of a cupmarked kerbstone to the rising southern major standstill moon can be seen at the kerbcairn of Mulchaich, MHG41549, on the Black Isle". A photograph of the cup marked stone was uploaded, with these comments, to the Highland HER Facebook page in June 2011. <2>

Douglas Scott also notes that there are up to 34 cupmarks showing on the north inner side of the boulder and more can be seen at ground level. <3>