Monument record MHG41474 - Sheep fold? - Rynuie, Abernethy

Created automatically by NMRS Register Utility
User: Admin, Date: Fri 10 Mar 2000
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NH91SE 6 9982 1325

An unroofed building is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire 1874, sheet lix) and on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1972).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 11 July 1996

A sheepfold was noted during a DBA by J Wood in 1995 in advance of a woodland creation scheme. In Rynuie, there was a sheepfold dating from the 18th or 19th century as found on the 1863 1st edition OS map. <1>

A dyke was noted by C Dagg during a walkover survey in 2007 in advance of a woodland creation scheme. There appeared to be no strong evidence for this being previously identified as a sheepfold. The substantial rubble walling of a building, as shown on the 1st edition OS map, was located at the northwest end of a long, straight section of drystone dyke of no obvious purpose except that it was an extension of the enclosing dyke of the township. The drystone nature of the dyke, as well as the fact that it was running just to the north of what must be an earlier fail dyke, suggested a late date. This may therefore have reflected a new element in the economy of the township in the mid-19th century which may well have been associated with the more commercial farming of sheep. <2>

<1> Wood, J. (ed), 1995, Archaeological Survey: Abernethy Forest Reserve (Text/Report/Fieldwork Report). SHG20961.

<2> Dagg, C., 2008, Abernethy Forest Woodland Restoration: Appendix: H.11 - Archaeological Evaluation of project area (Text/Report/Fieldwork Report). SHG25779.