Monument record MHG24924 - Druimcallich

NN89NW 7 8467 9825

A township, comprising two roofed buildings, one partially roofed, three unroofed buildings, two enclosures and a head-dyke is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire 1872, sheet ciii). One unroofed building and two enclosures are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1971).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 22 July 1996.

NN 846 982
Visited Sunday 16th January 2000. Weather - sunny and still. Light snow cover. The site is generally well planted with trees apart from a strip 5m wide on the west side of the road. The planting is thought to have taken place in 1956. There are 8 structures, 3 enclosures and associated field boundaries. The settlement appears on the 1st edition OS map of 1872 and also on Roys military survey of 1750

On the West side of the road:
Structure A
A rectangular building, heavily planted with trees and covered with moss, measuring 14 x 4.5m and on a N/S axis. The ruined stone walls are roughly 0.5m thick and rise to a height of 1m in places, they are made of dressed stone and have squared corners. There are 2 compartments – the north measures 9 x 4.5m and has a door in the east wall and the south measuring 5 x 4.5m, appears to have a door in the east wall. Probably a relatively recent structure.

Enclosure B
Adjacent to structure A and to its south and west . Trapezoidal in shape and irregular, it measures roughly 40 x 25m, enclosed by low earthbanks. A large ?clearance cairn, 6m in diameter, lies in the west corner.

Structure C
Quite close and parallel to the road, the low stone footings of this long rectangular building measure 22 x 4.5m and also are on a N/S axis. It is not planted with trees but the west wall has been disturbed by ploughing. The walls rise to 0.5m in places and are heavily moss covered. There are three compartments - the northmost, 8 x 4.5m has a door in the centre of the east wall, the middle compartment 6 x 4.5m also has a door in the east wall and the southmost 7 x 4.5m has no evidence of an end (south) wall.

Structure K
A rectangular structure measuring 7 x 3m and on a N/S axis, is revetted into the bank, planted over with trees and pretty well wasted. 2 compartments can be seen the s’most being only 2 x 3m

“Scoop” L
Lies to the SW of structure C, a hollow into the moraine, 2 to 4m deep, possibly ?a kiln or quarry. A further shallow scoop lies just to the north and is bounded on the N by a short constructed stone walling 0.5 x 3m.

On the East side of the road:
Enclosure D
An irregular enclosure with quite substantial ruined walls (photographs 3,4 & 5). It measures roughly 31m on its north, west and south sides but 23m on its east side, the north wall is “stepped” and adjoining it are a possible building (structure E) and a low turf and stone field boundary stretching for 60m to the north. The enclosure is unplanted but a recent fenced enclosure in the centre has young self planted trees in it.

Structure E
Adjoins the NE corner of enclosure D. Long axis N/S, the remains of a rectangular structure measuring 14 x 4m, the low grassy banks are barely discernible, but the north wall is more evident.

Structure F
Rectangular structure 14 x 4m lies to the north of structure E and is on an E/W axis. The low stone and turf footings rise to a height of 0.3m, there is a door in the south wall. Heavily tree planted.

Structure G
A rectangular structure lying on a N/S axis, measures 13 x 5m in total and has three compartments. North one is 4 x 5m (north end wall absent), the middle is 6 x 5m and the south is 3 x 4m. The walls rise to a height of 0.5m in places and there is no evidence of entrances. The structure is quite lightly planted with trees but heavily moss covered. A field boundary which stretches for 80m to the south and lies parallel to the road, commences 20m to the south.

Structure H
Probably a corn-drying kiln, this rectangular structure lies on an E/W axis and measures 12 x 5m. There are two compartments – the eastmost is a roughly circular depression, circa 4m in diameter and 1m deep , the westmost compartment is 4 x 8m and has a door in its south wall. The whole structure is heavily tree planted and moss covered.

Enclosure J
Lies well to the southeast of the other buildings in what is a sheltered depression. This square enclosure has walls of 16m length. Those on the north and west are quite substantial rising to 0.3m in places, on the south and east they are evident as low turf banks. The enclosure remains free of trees although it has been heavily ploughed (photograph 1)

Photographs
1. Structure A from S
2. Structure C from S
3. South wall of enclosure D from W (also west wall from S)
4. External walling at SE corner of enclosure D from S
5. Corn-drying kiln H (interior) from ENE (also kiln from NW)
6. Enclosure J from SE
7. Stone edging to N of shallow scoop at L from S
8. Scoops x 2 at L from NE
Recorded by M. Marshall - Jan 2000

See Thumbnail Photo - showing enclosure J from SE. M Marshall, 01/00.

This site was visited during a walkover survey in March and April 2011. See the linked event (EHG3560) to download the survey report. <1><2>