Monument record MHG53112 - Loch Borralie North-west

Summary

No summary available.

Location

Grid reference NC 3819 6762 (point) (Approximate)
Map sheet NC36NE
Geographical Area SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish DURNESS

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

a) Very tumbled oval or subcircular structure built on to limestone outcrops. One course of stone walling visible, composed of basal quartzite. Mixture of large angular blocks (some orthostats still in situ) and smaller subangular rubble. Measures 9.2 m NNW/SSE by 9.8 m WSW/ENE internally. There are tumbled remnants of an inner and outer skin of stone with a rubble inner core, but no stretch of the wall has all three elements intact together so impossible to get an accurate wall width. Walls are spread up to 2 m-2.5 m wide. Old ground surface or occupation deposits (with shell) evident in the interior. The SE quadrant of this structure is still under a turfed dune, making measurements difficult, but some of the structure may survive better beneath it.

b) A short arc of walling runs NE for 4 m from the structure but is also very eroded.

c) 3 m WNW of (a) is another line of possible walling (though much of it looks like limestone bedrock), 5.6 m N/S.

d) 13 m WNW of (a) is a much tumbled (sand and turf covered) structure built on a raised limestone outcrop. Very difficult to make sense of but there seems to be a short curvilinear stretch of walling (2 skins), aligned NE/SW. This extends for 2.1 m and is 1.2 m wide and is formed mainly of quartzite conglomerate blocks. More of the structure may survive beyond the edge of the gully to the N and NW.

e) At the SE of the turf-covered dune over the SE quadrant of structure (a) is a line of walling aligned NNW/SSE which runs for 72 m.
Within deep eroded gully, between 0.1-1 m below present undulating surface of stable dunes. Overlooks Loch Borralie to SE.
Hut circle or other form of prehistoric structure, with associated field or enclosure walls.
Recommendations: Rescue excavation to establish character and date of the remains before they are irretrievably eroded. <1><2>

Sources/Archives (2)

  • <1> Dataset/Database File: Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD). 2003. Site gazetteer: Loch Borralie, Kyle of Durness. Site 105.
  • <2> Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Lelong, O and MacGregor, G. 2003. Loch Borralie, Kyle of Durness: Project 950. Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD). Digital. Site 105.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Feb 10 2010 10:24AM

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