Monument record MHG44155 - Allt Ach a' Bhraighe

NC 00NW 28 0486 0620

The remains of two hut-circles and four huts are situated on a heather-covered terrace to the N of the Allt Ach' a Bhraighe. The terrace is enclosed by an earth-and-stone bank against which two of the huts (ACHIL94 146, 147) are built. The enclosure bank is overlain by a drystone-walled sheepfold (NC 0494 0617) which is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Cromartyshire 1881, sheet vii). A discontinous heather-covered bank extends from the W side of the enclosure, running off for about 200m to the NW before disappearing amongst peat hags. This bank may have formed part of the head-dyke of Badenscallie township (NC00NW 55.00), perhaps originally joining with a bank to the NW (NC 0442 0653 to NC 0413 0667).
The two heather-covered hut-circles lie within the enclosure to the WNW of the sheepfold. The W hut-circle (ACHIL94 145, NC 0485 0621) measures 5.7m in diameter within a boulder-faced bank 1.2m in thickness and 0.4m in height. The entrance, which is on the ESE, may have been protected by a poorly-preserved baffle-wall. A subrectangular hut overlies the interior of the hut-circle. The second hut-circle (ACHIL94 148, NC 0486 0620), which measures 5.5m in diameter overall, comprises a platform levelled into a slight slope.
There are three huts in addition to the hut overlying one of the hut-circles (ACHIL94 145, above). They measure from 1.45m across (ACHIL94 146) to 3.5m by 2.7m (ACHIL94 149) within rubble footings up to 0.8m in thickness and 0.4m in height. Two of the huts (ACHIL94 146, 147) are built against the inside face of the earth-and-stone enclosure bank.
(ACHIL94 145-149)
Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 18 May 1994

Sheep fold marked on modern 1st edition Ordnance Survey mapping onwards. <1>

Visited during walkover survey. Described as a rough rubble enclosure divided internally into one large and two small pens, aligned WNW-ESE. A section of turf dyke extends WNW from the entrance in the west wall, for a distance of about 60m. <2>