Monument record MHG24928 - Bulroy

The majority of this settlement is situated on the valley floor within an extensive area of improved land. The main buildings appear to be relatively recent but there is evidence of a much earlier structure, the stones of which may have been used for the later buildings. The footings of a further building lie 100m to the east on a river terrace. A constructed track leads down the hill from the present minor road to the settlement and there is a ford across the river to a further settlement at Tolvah on the west side of the river Feshie.
Information supplied by M Marshall, 16/12/00.
See assoc. docs. File and Hlink.
J Aitken : 27/02/02.

NN 846 995
Visited Saturday 16th December 2000. Weather – dry, overcast and cold. The majority of the farmstead is situated on the valley floor within an extensive area of improved land. The main buildings appear to be relatively recent but there is evidence of a much earlier structure, the stones of which may have been used for the later buildings. The footings of a further building lie 100m to the east on a river terrace. A constructed track leads down the hill from the present minor road to the settlement and there is a ford across the river to the settlement at Tolvah on the west side of the River Feshie. The farmstead does not appear on Roys map of 1750, but is marked on the Thomson map of 1830 and on the 1st edition OS survey of 1872

Structure A
Lies to the east of the main farmstead, on a terrace in a birch wood. Rectangular structure measuring 15 x 4m with long axis north/south. The footings are low and of rough stone rising to 0.2m. Stone tumble and also birch trees internally. The corners appear to be rounded and there is no evidence of a doorway.

Structure B
This the most eastern of the structures on the valley floor, is situated on a slight terrace and measures 15 x 5m, with long axis aligned north/south. The walls, which are quite ruinous, rise to a height on average of 1m. Much of the stonework is dressed with the corners being very squared. At the north end the walls rise to a height of 2m and there is evidence of mortaring. There is a doorway in the centre of the west wall and also a window at the north end. No evidence of cruick slots. An internal wall dividing off the southernmost 3m appears to be a later addition. A substantial hollow to the northwest of this building appears to be associated with it.

Structure C
Another substantial structure with walls rising consistently to a height of 1.5m, this building measures 11m by 5m with the long axis east/west. There is one doorway in the centre of the south wall and two doorways in the north wall. There is substantial mortaring in the walls but no cruick slots

Structure D
This appears to be a much earlier building and has mostly been levelled to the ground, all that remains are the low earth footings with occasional stonework. It measures 12m by 4m and lies on a north/south axis. It appears to have been built over by structure E at its south end and there could be a doorway in the southeast corner

Structure E
A square building partly overlying structure D with unmortared walls to the south and west rising to height of 1.5m appears to have been roughly constructed between structures C and D possibly at a later date. There is a doorway in the low east wall and there could be a cruick slot on the inside of the west wall. A gap of 0.5m between this and C has been roughly filled.

To the east of D and north of C there is a rectangular hollow, 12m by 5m and ?1m deep, bordered with what appears to be stone edge in places, at the northeast corner there is a recumbent ?column of dressed rounded granite, 1.5m by 0.2m (visible above the turf) in length

Structure F
To the south of structure B and cut into the terrace is a hollow measuring 7m by 3m and opening to the west. The south side has a stone facing in parts and is 1m in depth whilst the northern edge is just 0.3m deep. This could be some sort of kiln or storage pit

Photographs
1. General view of main settlement from the east/north-east
2. General view from the east - Tolvah on the west side of the river can be seen through the trees.
3. Structure A from the south-east.
4. Structure B from the south.
5. Structure/?pit F from the north-east
6. Structures C and E from the north-east.
7. Structures D and E from the north/north-east
8. Hollow and structure C from the north.
9. Close-up of dressed granite “column”.
Recorded by M. Marshall Dec 2000

See Thumbnail Photo - General view of main settlement from the E/NE.