Monument record MHG24222 - Farmstead, enclosure, building, possible still and lade - Allt Dubh

NH35NE 14 3979 5503

A farmstead comprising one unroofed building and one enclosure is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross-shire 1881, sheet lxxxvii). One unroofed building is shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1971).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 7 March 1996.

This farmstead, enclosure, building, possible still and lade (Nmrs No NH35NE 0014) were recorded by NOSAS in 2007 as part of the Scotland's Rural Past Project. Centred on NH 3978 5505 this site sits in a sheltered hollow, with a rough marshy clearing to the north, at the junction of the Allt Dubh and the Allt nam Ballach. The surrounding topography has been seriously affected by the construction of a forest track. All the features have been over planted with trees, and some are affected by windblow. The site comprises 2 buildings, an enclosure and a further building, thought to be a still bothy, with a stone lined lade. Moss covers the structures and there is vigorous bracken cover.

146 Building - NH 39731 54993 Above and to the west of structure 147 this is on the upper side of a forest track. It is recessed into the slope, aligned N-S and measures 5.5m x 3m internally. The back/west recessed wall is stone faced and 0.5m high. The front east wall appears to have fallen away or perhaps been truncated by the forest track although there is a well built stone corner at the north end. The north and south walls are c 0.5m in height with the recessed NW corner 1.2m. 147 Building and lade (Fig 7) - NH 39760 55020 The main building is built into a steep slope and is of dry stone construction. It is aligned WSW-ENE and there are three parts to the structure:
A. A main compartment is c5m x 3m internally, with a clear entrance in the S wall.
B. An outshot to the east on the same alignment is c2m x 3m. It is open to the south into an apparent water channel of dry stone construction
C. Water channel/lade - Aligned N-S this is c20m in length. It is heavily embanked on the lower east side. This curving stone lined channel is generally 0.5m deep, although the side walls are 0.8m high in places. It has a width of 0.6m except for the inlet at the SW end which is 1.5m. Numerous up-rooted Scots pines lay across the lade and one has uprooted the terminal end of the lower wall confusing interpretation considerably. The burn from which it is fed is several metres away and lower from the south end and there is no visible tail race at the north end. It is thought that there has probably been some change in the course of the burn
over the years.

148A Building - NH 39790 55040 The substantial remains of a dry stone building aligned NW-SE and measuring 6m x 3m internally has a small outshot c2m x 2m internally of similar construction at the SE. The walls survive to c1m height in several places and are double faced and c0.8m in thickness. A fine section of buttressing is seen outside the N wall of the main building. A possible entrance c0.8m wide is in the SE corner of and a dry stone wall extending out from it in a SE direction. This wall has fallen trees over it and encloses an area to the Allt nam Ballach on its east side.

148B Enclosure - centred on NH 39790 54997, aligned WSW - ENE and roughly 33m x 17m. The wall probably extended to the building 147 but it has been truncated by a bulldozed forest track. There are no obvious animal enclosures or cultivatable nearby. In view of its situation and the history of the surrounding landscape this site is in all probability associated with the production of illicit whisky. Structure 147 may have been a horizontal mill or it may have been a still similar to the one recorded at Carn Bhithir on
the Mar Lodge Estate with a lade and a drain leading off and taking away excess water. <1>