Glen Muick Archaeology Notes
Date 21 May 2015
Event ID 1001115
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Srp Note
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1001115
This small dispersed township lies on both banks of the Gelder Burn, on land which is raised very slightly from the cultivated haugh just downstream, which is enclosed by a long field dyke. The whole area around the buildings on the E bank is littered with very large field stones.
Building A
This building, which is aligned N/S, has a series of outshots which were built subsequently. It is built of large, roughly-dressed field stones with a rubble core, and has rounded external ends with square internal corners. The walls stand generally 2 courses high, and in some places up to 4 courses. There is an entrance in the East face.
The first outshot lies to the N of Building A; its northern wall appears to have been rebuilt at some stage. The walls stand to a maximum of 3 courses, and are of roughly-dressed field stones with a rubble core.
A second outshot, built onto the first, is roughly built from roughly-dressed field stone; the walls rise in places to 3 courses, in others only the footings remain. It appears to have an internal platform at the South end where it abuts the first outshot.
A third outshot, built onto the south side of the main building, is constructed of dressed stone with a rubble core, and has square internal and external corners. The walls stand 2 courses high. There is an indent in the internal South-East corner, as if for a built-in press or cupboard.
Building B
This lies 30m to the East of building A, and is aligned E/W. It is a substantial building of well-dressed field stone with a rubble core, and its width is greater than most buildings in Glen Gelder. Most of the walls are well-coursed, and the external corners are square; the walls are very wide. There are very large field stones visible as foundation stones under much of the wall area; the walls stand between 2 and 4 courses high. There is 1 definite and 1 possible entrance in the South face.
There is an outshot on the E side of the main building, on a slightly different E-W alignment. It is built of dressed field stone, and stands to 2-3 courses high. There is an entrance on the South side.
An enclosure is attached to the outshot, and lies at right angles to it. The single-thickness walls are made of very large field stones. There is no obvious entrance.
Building C - Kiln
This corn kiln is well-preserved, with a visible fire hole and possible ramp or steps to the East of the fire hole. There is no attached barn.
Enclosures
There are several enclosures in the township, with single-thickness walls mainly of extremely large field stones. The exception is the main dyke surrounding the haugh, which is of double thickness. Two of the dykes extend to the Gelder burn and one meanders to the south to form the northern boundary of the improved grass land of Rachaish.
Building D
This lies on the W side of the Gelder Burn and is aligned NE/SW. It has internal measurements of 7x3m and is built of roughly faced stone with rubble infill. The walls stand 5 courses high and the corners are square. There is an entrance on the N side and there is a possible opposing entrance on the S side. There is a raised platform abutting onto the NE end wall bounded by a dyke.
There is an outshot attached to the SW end measuring 5x3m. It is built of roughly faced stone with rubble infill and the walls stand 3 courses high. There is no obvious entrance. A second outshot is built onto the first and measures 4x3m. It is also built of roughly faced stone with rubble infill and the walls stand 3 courses high.
The settlement enclosure dyke abuts onto either end of the building.
Building E - Kiln Barn
This lies at OS Grid Ref. NO 24559 92545, measured by hand held GPS. This building is aligned NE/SW and is partly scarped into the natural bank. The building is of drystone construction using field boulders with rubble infill. The kiln bowl is at the, uphill, SW end and measures 2m in diameter at the top and is 1.3m deep. The barn, at the NE end measures 4x2m and the walls stand 2 courses high. There is a possible entrance on the N side.
Building F
This lies some 30m SW of building E and is aligned NE/SW. It measures 5.2x2.3m. It is of drystone construction using field boulders with rubble infill. The walls stand some0.8m high and there is an entrance in the SE corner.
