Monument record MHG26165 - Possible Settlement, Badenscallie

NC00NW 55.03 0391 0665

On the SW side of the public road through Badenscallie, NW of the bridge over the Badenscallie Burn, there are the remains of at least four buildings amongst modern croft houses, with a fifth building a short distance to the W, below Lurachan (ACHIL94 257, NC 0375 0667), and a sixth to the NW, towards the Allt a' Bhaid-choille (ACHIL94 89, NC 0368 0682). Most of the buildings measure between 7.5m and 10.8m in length and between 3m and 4.3m in breadth within faced-rubble walls up to 0.8m thick. Two buildings lie outside this range; one is obscured by collapsed gables but measures internally about 5.8m in length by 2.6m in breadth (ACHIL94 252), the other (ACHIL94 257) appears to have measured about 16.3m in length by 4.2m in breadth but its SW end has been bulldozed away, leaving only two grounders from the outer face of its end wall. The walls of these buildings survive to varying heights, some (e.g. ACHIL94 252 and 258) being no more than 0.5m high, while others (ACHIL257, 585) stand about 1.8m high. Gable ends survive in one building (ACHIL94 89) but collapsed rubble suggests that at least two of the others were also gabled (ACHIL94 252, 259). Several buildings show evidence of additions and alterations, such as the blocking of doorways, while three have outshots built onto their ends. One building (ACHIL94 259) has opposed entrances, suggesting that it was used as a barn.
While these buildings may be no earlier than the 19th century, it should be pointed out that Peter May's 1758 survey of the Barony of Coigach (SRO RHP 85395) depicts a settlement in approximately this position, although this does not appear on Morrison's 1775 survey (SRO, E746/189). All the buildings recorded are identifiable on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Cromartyshire 1881, sheet iii) and all but one (ACHIL94 252) are shown roofed. This map also shows several other buildings in the main group, now destroyed or reduced to fragments of walling. The 2nd edition of the map shows little change, although by then the building to the N (ACHIL94 89) had become roofless.
(ACHIL94 89, 252, 257-9, 585)
Visited by RCAHMS (SDB) 20 June 1994