Monument record MHG17923 - Possible Corn-Drying Kiln, Rosskeen

A possible grain-drying kiln was found here during archaeological supervision of the topsoil strip for the Dingwall-Invergordon British Gas pipeline.
Sponsor: British Gas.
J Wordsworth 1993. <1>

Further E the ground became low-lying with a clay/silt subsoil and no buried features were recorded until feature (7) was noted. This was revealed as a kiln, possibly for drying grain though only one carbonised grain was noted and this found in a runnel or flue external to the main kiln. <2>

A report on the possible corn drying kiln was submitted to HCAU as part of a post-excavation assessment for the whole route of the pipeline. One of two kilns was excavated at this location. The excavated kiln was 3m long with a central cobbled chamber 1.5m diameter x 250mm below the present ground level. There was little to no trace of burning on the cobble stones which were capped by a brown fine gravel 50-100mm thick which also showed little sign of burning. This chamber was fed by a furnace box 1.6m x 0.6 x 250mm facing to the NW, the direction of the prevailing wind. There was a charcoal-rich silt filling this box. A number of gullies were also recorded, potentially associated with the kiln. Another, similarly sized, kiln lay to the east of the excavated kiln, with its flue facing the west.
Though clearly a small industrial complex with 2 kilns, it is not evident what was being heated in these kilns. The lack of fire/reddening on either the stones or the clay/silts of the furnace area suggest this was a low intensity kiln, more for drying or smoking than heating. The gulley to the W had some link with the kiln and looks most like a drain for
removing some sort of liquid. <3>