Loch Of Houlland

HU34SE 1 3975 4161.

(HU 3975 4160) Enclosure shown - not annotated.

OS 6" map, Shetland, 2nd ed. (1903)

What appeared to be a 'temple' site, was shown to Miss Henshall by Peter Moar, about HU 398 418.

(MS. note by A S Henshall 8 February 1968)

A dry-stone sub-oval enclosure measuring c.11.0m by c.8.0m on a heather-covered slope. Six orthostats, the highest 1.3m, are incorporated at intervals in the walls, with two others flanking the SE entrance, in similar formation to those of the "Neolithic Temple" at Stanydale (HU25SE 1). These appear to be of antiquity, but the drystone walls between each one has been erected recently to form a sheep enclosure. There are traces of a thick wall around this enclosure, particularly in the NE where one or two earthfast stones amongst tumble may be outer facing stones, indicating a wall thickness, orthostat to outer wall face, of c.3.5m Other large slabs lean against the wall amongst tumble, and another upright stone occurs within the enclosure with an earth-fast stone on edge next to it. An arc of five stones on edge also occurs within, with a similar formation outside and to the W. The erection of a later curving field bank has restricted the entrance.

Visited by OS(AA) 10 May 1968

Scheduled as Loch of Houlland, homestead.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 6 August 1993.