Monument record MHG43342 - Head Dyke, Faochag

NB91NE 1 9792 1750.
Area Centred : NB 9792 1750) Faochag (NAT)
OS 6"map, Ross-shire, 2nd ed., (1905)

Nuchag: Shown as a group of six buildings with arable.(W Roy 1747) Partially depopulated by 1881, (OS 6"map, Ross-shire, 1st ed., {1881}) when two roofed buildings are shown.
W Roy 1747.

The remains indicate a compact farming settlement with 4 houses, 2 smaller buildings of indeterminate use, sheep-folds, considerable enclosure walling, field clearance and cultivation strips. The building remains in drystone walling up to 1m. thick, range from 1m. high foundations to complete standing gables.
Visited by OS (F R H) 25 May 1962.

This township, which is disposed between two lochs about 500m S of Rubha Coigach, comprises 7 buildings, a pen, several lengths of head-dyke, several patches of lazy-bedding, and some other cultivation-remains.
The buildings are rectangular on plan with squared corners and range from 7.1m to 14.5m in length by between 2.8m and 3.5m in breadth within rubble-faced walls, 0.6m to 0.7m thick, except for one which is up to 1m thick (ACHIL94 5), standing between 1.5m and 1.85m high. Three of buildings stand to their gables (ACHIL94 3, 8 & 9), of which two have windows (ACHIL94 3, 9) and appear to have been domestic. Neither of them have fireplaces, and both appear to have been byre-houses, byre separated by an inserted partition with a drain visible at gable end. The other gabled building still has a lintel over entrance and its walls are buttressed on W and S (ACHIL94 8). The roofs of at least two of buildings were supported on crucks as evidenced by slots for beams in walls of buildings (ACHIL94 5, 9; NB 9796 1744 and NB 9804 1744), but one of buildings (ACHIL94 5) has been substantially repaired in rough drystone style and may have been used as a pen in its later history. It is notable that three smaller buildings or huts all lie at a distance from other buildings, which may indicate a non-domestic function (ACHIL94 4, 6,11; NB 9778 1753, NB 9801 1755 and NB 9801 1737), and range in size between 2.7m and 4.7m by about 1.8m and 2m across.
Several lengths of head-dyke were identified, including one that encloses S of township from seashore W of Loch na Foachaig to Loch na Playtach in E. Patches of lazy-bedding are evident, particularly to N of Loch na Foachaig (centred on NB 9777 1748) and to W of Loch na Playtach (centred on NB 9804 1756), with a smaller patch on S of Loch Learain (centred on NB 9785 1761). Between these two there is an area of smoothed grassland, which displays traces of furrows or drains (centred on NB 9788 1750). Within area of lazy-bedding by Loch na Playtach there are also several cultivation terraces (centred on NB 9797 1747), and a drystone pen (NB 9807 1756), measuring 4.9m NNE-SSW by 1.8m transversely within walls 0.7m high (ACHIL94 7). One of the smaller buildings also lies in this area (ACHIL94 6).
May's survey of 1758 (SRO, RHP 85395), depicts an area at this location, labelled as "a Grassing" and additional note that it 'has been under tillage' but there is no depiction of site by Morrison in 1775 (SRO, E746/189). Both 1st and 2nd editions of OS six-inch map (Cromartyshire 1881 sheet 1B and Ross and Cromarty 1905, sheet IB) depict two roofed buildings (ACHIL94 3 and 9), an unroofed building (ACHIL94 5), three enclosures and a head-dyke to S. (ACHIL94 3-9, 11)
Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 26 April 1994