Monument record MHG22909 - Glen Cannich

NH33SW 9 centred on 323 325

A township comprising seven unroofed buildings and two large enclosures or fields is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire 1876, sheet xxvii) and on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1971) with the addition of another field.
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 16 May 1996

This “township” was visited by R Spencer-Jones of NoSAS on 5th May 2014. Seven unroofed buildings, attached to three different enclosures were seen. The enclosures were not surveyed, although they did seem to closely follow detail seen on the 1:25000 map used by the recorder.

At 230-250m, along the upper slopes of a south-facing hillside above the River Cannich are three large enclosures running down the hill. Related to the upper dykes of each of these enclosures are the remains of seven unroofed buildings. The hillside is heavily forested with fir trees, approximately 80-100 years old. Each of the buildings has large tree trunks either inside it or close to the walls. At the time of writing the trees were due to be felled.

Enclosure 1 had five buildings associated with the upper wall:
House 1 – NH 32304 32546 - rectangular structure, aligned west-east, 8 x 3m, with doorway in east corner of south wall. Remaining upstanding walls to approx 1.5m.
House 2 – NH 32309 32555 - a low structure, 3 m to east of House 1 northeast corner. It was aligned north-south with the east and west walls abutting a huge 5 m high rock, which thereby formed the north wall. A possible entrance was on the southern end of the east wall. Its dimensions were 6.5 x 1.5 m. The remaining walls were approx 0.6 – 1 m high. Three large trees were contained within it.
House 3 – NH 32319 32529 – this was the western end of a long structure 15 x 2.3 m long, divided into two buildings with separate entrances. This western building was 8 x 2.3 m, and had a doorway in the southern wall, 2 m from the southeast corner. The walls were best preserved in the western end of the structure, up to 1.2 m high.
House 4 – NH 32346 32529 - the eastern end of the structure was slightly smaller, 6 x 2.3 m. Its doorway was central in the southern wall. Walls survived best at the eastern end, up to 1 m.
House 5 – NH 32361 32516 – at the northeastern corner of Enclosure 1, was a deeply moss-covered building, aligned west-east, approx 6 x 3 m. The doorway was to the east, and a tree had fallen across the structure, lying on top of the east and west walls.

Enclosure 2 had one building just within the top dyke.
House 6 - NH 32397 32538 - was aligned west-east, 11 x 9 m, with tumbled walls up to 0.6 m high. The entrance was on the south wall, 2.5 m from the southeast corner.

Enclosure 3 was some distance and 30 m higher than the previous two enclosures. It contained one building:
House 7 - NH 32681 32488 - was aligned west-east, 5.5 x 2.3 m. The west wall was broken by an “annexe” of 3 x 1 m, aligned west-east, which therefore extended the southern wall.

In summary, these buildings and the associated enclosures seemed to be associated with pasture or summer grazing, rather than cultivation. The hillsides, and the enclosures, were too steep to allow ploughing or cultivation. There were no obvious rig marks inside the enclosures. The buildings were at 230-250 m altitude with steep hillsides below. There was flatter ground 100-120 m below them, along the sides of the river. The structures were at risk of damage from the imminent tree felling. <1>

Note: Modern OS MasterMap shows an additional building to the north of enclosures 1 and 2.