Monument record MHG13058 - Hut Circle - Loch Raa (Loch Raa 3)

A hut circle on the east shore of Loch Raa.

At NC 0219 1184 are scarcely recognisable remains of a hut circle, with interior strewn with stones. It measures about 7m diameter. Entrance not evident. Surveyed at 1:10,000.
Visited by OS (A A) 17 July 1974.

On E of public road to Achiltibuie there are two bracken-covered hut-circles and a fragmentary field-system. NW hut-circle (ACHIL94 552, NC 0212 1188) measures 7m diameter within a stony bank spread to 1.6m in thickness and standing 0.5m high, with an entrance on SSE. SE hut-circle (ACHIL94 553, NC 0218 1184) is smaller, measuring 5.4m diameter within a stony bank spread to 1.7m in thickness and 0.3m in height, with occasional facing-stones visible. The field-system comprises low stony banks, mainly visible to NE of N hut-circle, to which it is connected by an arm of main artery of field-system. The latter runs SE for a distance of 80m from public road (NC 0210 1193 to 0216 1187), from which two arms are subtended, one leading to hut-circle, and second to shore of Loch Raa. (ACHIL94 552-3)Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 10 August 1994

202193 911850 Loch Raa 3 CM103 (ACHILL94/553): The hut circle was visited by A Welti, C MacNeilage and C Martin in 2010 as part of research for a dissertation on hut circles in Wester Ross. This was part of a degree course overseen by Aberdeen University. This oval stone structure is in poor condition with a large quantity of rubble both inside and around the structure. It was visited by OS in 1974 and by RCAHMS in 1994. It lies on a very gentle west facing slope in grazing land, 50m upslope from CM102, 5m from a stream and 60m from the freshwater Loch Raa. The HC is part of a linear cluster along a shore contour of around 10 to 20m.This cluster is in sight of the linear cluster on the W side of Loch Raa and Loch Vatachan. There are field boundaries and clearance cairns in the vicinity. Several large orthostats are set in the outer wall face, (see photograph). Inner diameters of the structure are 5.6m and 4.0m N/S, outer diameters are 10.1m and 8.2m E/W. The double skinned wall is 1.3m thick with maximum height 0.6m. The possible entrance faces south with passage length 2.5m, indicating extended terminals. The entrance width could not be measured. This HC may be associated with others in the linear cluster, AW401 (see MHG45594) distant 800m, CM101 (see MHG9125) distant 200m, CM102 (see MHG9126) distant 50m, as well as CMM205 (see MHG13057) distant 400m and CMM204 (see MHG24962) distant 470m. <1> <2>

[Note: a database was set up as part of research for the dissertation and was subsequently expanded as an extension of the We Digs Project (see website link below). The full access database can be made available to enquirers/researchers if requested - contact HER for details].

NGR adjusted to position as seen on 2009 vertical APs. <3>