Monument record MHG24725 - Township - Comrie

A township comprising nine roofed buildings, one partially roofed building, one unroofed structure and three enclosures, and a sheepfold are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross-shire 1881, sheet lxxxvii). Three roofed buildings, two enclosures and the sheepfold are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1992).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 7 March 1996.

Centred on NH 4139 5593, this township, recorded by NOSAS in 2007 as part of the Scotland's Rural Past Project, is situated 4.5kms west of Contin. The present site of Comrie Farm is on the valley floor to the SE of a rocky knoll and the lade, mill dam and site of the mill are to the east. There is a raised area of rough ground above the valley floor and to the west of the rocky knoll which has the remains of earlier buildings and this may have been the site of the original township. A few metres to the east of this there is an extensive and complex stone sheepfold. This site has been recorded as a township and enclosure by FESP.

013 Possible Building - NH 41227 56016 Appears as a level platform on a NE-SW axis. It measures roughly 9m x 3.5m and is defined at its S end by an earth bank of 0.3m height. It is possibly recessed into rising ground at its N end. Any stones may have been robbed for the nearby sheepfold. It may be the site of a timber building, there are a number of other humps and bumps in the vicinity possibly indicating other ?buildings but no form to them could be made.

014 Probable Building - NH 41253 55994 This probable structure is oval in shape and measures internally 4m x 3m. Appears as an oval depression, 0.8m deep, surrounded by stone and turf walls of height 0.2m. Open at its south end. 015 Sheepfold - NH 41277 56001 Complex sheepfold close and to the NW of a rocky knoll and the farmhouse of Comrie. It appears to have been in use until relatively recently. The walls are almost complete and generally to a height of 1m but 1.5m in places. Sheepdip 16, to east is associated 016 Sheepdip - NH 41330 56001 Sheepdip with disintegrating wooden superstructure and concrete floor, abutting and on the N side of a stone wall and close to sheepfold 015.

017 Mill Lade - NH 41425 55940 (SW end) to NH 41637 56084 (NE end) This substantial lade (Fig 11) can be followed for c.220m from the edge of the field by the farm to the west, to the dam and mill pond at the ENE end. It contours two elongated knolls in the field to the east of the farmhouse of Comrie. In the immediate vicinity of the farmhouse it has been levelled and destroyed. Significant earth movement has been involved in its construction. The associated dam and millpond lie 250m to the ENE of Comrie farmhouse. The lade can be divided into 2 sections: 1. A c.70m length to the east where it has been raised on an earthbank which traverses marshy ground. The bank is 5m in width and 1m height. The channel has been filled in throughout this length and the water exiting the pond at the dam/sluice has been diverted to the south. 2. A length of c.150m where the lade “contours” round the south side of one knoll and then the north of a second knoll, through the field. The channel varies between 0.7m and 0.3m in depth and the earthbank containing it is generally 0.6 m in height and as much as 1m for a short length. A 30m length of the channel at the very west most section has been filled in but the bank is quite clear. It is difficult to determine where the mill was, but the wall, 22, may have contained the tail race, in which case the mill would have been somewhere in the 100m between the end of the lade and the N end of the wall 22, probably nearer the latter (there is a small building on the 1st edition OS survey). Considering the length of the lade, there is very little “fall”.

018 Dam and mill pond - centred on NH 41637 56100 This dam and mill pond are 250m to the ENE of Comrie Farm, in the private garden of Comrie House and surrounded by birch wood, The dam is c60m in length, 5m in width at its base and generally 1m in height, although at the south end it is 2m in height for a short stretch in the trees. It forms an arc and encloses the pond which is approx 40m in diameter. The outlet/position of sluice is aligned with the mill lade 17. Nothing now remains of the sluice.

019 Possible Kiln - NH 41487 55985 c.80m to the east of Comrie Farm in a grassy field on the north end of an elongated knoll. The remains of this structure are on a NE-SW axis, measure 6m x 3m overall and contain two circular pits adjacent to each another. Each pit is 2m in diameter and has a depth of 0.7m, the NE one being 0.5m lower than the SE. The low footings of the surrounding walls are barely discernable, but are made up of stones now moss covered. The footings of an abutting wall, 4m in length descend the slope to the east from the east corner. The channel of the lade 017, runs only 2m to the NW and the ground to the NE, which appears to have formerly dropped away quite steeply, has been filled in with what appears to be rubbish, earth, stones etc. Cover is of moss, reeds, grass, some bracken and young whins rapidly encroaching.

021 Enclosure - NH 41410 56018 (NE corner) 40m to the north of Comrie Farm and to the NE of the prominent knoll. This largely intact enclosure is roughly 40m square and has dry stone walls of 1.2m height. There is a gate halfway along the south wall. Has internal cover of grass and reeds.

022 Retaining wall - NH 41390 55920 (N end) - NH 4139155854 (S end) To the south of Comrie Farm and forming the west boundary of a level, raised, grassy area on which stands the complex building, 23. A dry stone wall, largely intact, retains a raised, level area roughly 60m square. It is substantial, curving in nature, runs for 80m from N to S and is between 1 and 1.2m in height. A ditch runs along the bottom of it and a marshy area is to the west. It may be the tail race for a mill

023 Building and Platform - NH 41404 55877 - 70m to the south of Comrie Farm and situated on a dry raised grassy area (retained by wall 22), there is a complex building of three parts: A. - Main roofed building on a NW-SE axis measures c.6m x 15m. Mortared walls to 2m height are built of dressed stone. Open at both ends, but with the frame of a sliding door at the NW end. It has 3 doorways in the long NE wall, the middle one blocked up. Tin roof with 3 glassed skylights in SW side. The broken remains of a row of troughs lie against the inside of the SW wall B. - An open sided shed abuts to the north of A. Measures 10m x 11m. The tin roof is supported by timber posts to the NW and posts of concrete breeze blocks to the SE. A sill, 0.4m high and 0.4m in width, runs round the inside on the NW and SW sides, retaining a walkway of 0.5m width. This is probably a sheep shearing shed. C. - An irregular shaped platform (see plan) of concrete slabs to the north and east of A and B. The main building, 23A, may be the SW building in the group of four forming a square on the 1st edition OS map. There is no trace of the other three.

020 Enclosure - NH 40988 56052 This natural rocky knoll to the west of Comrie Farm is totally enclosed by a low ruined wall of large stones and turf, revetted into the lower edge of the slope. A possible entrance lies across a natural neck of land to the N of the knoll. A secondary inner wall is set into the slope on the N arc with a second section on the SSW arc. The top of the knoll is fairly flat and is topped by several large stones and a lower terrace on the NE. There are several outcrops of bed rock and a pylon on the W side of the knoll. There are oak trees on the knoll and thick bracken and areas of nettles on the lower slopes. This may be an area of managed woodland, the purpose of the wall being more to exclude animals and protect the trees. <1>