Publication Account
Date 1987
Event ID 1016970
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016970
Accidentally discovered in the course of agricultural operations in 1871, this site, cleared out with some care and subsequently enclosed for protection, displays many of the classic features of an Angus souterrain: a long curved passage, an expanded end and a constricted doorway. The excavations were recorded by Andrew ]ervise, the eminent Angus antiquary, though not undertaken by him; he mentions several interesting features including the discovery of fallen roofing slabs within the passage. The souterrain measures about 24.3 m in length, 2.3 m in average breadth, and the corbelled walls still stand to a height of 2 m, with large boulders forming the basal course and rather smaller horizontally-laid blocks above. The finds, although now lost, formed an interesting assemblage, including domestic debris such as animal bones, broken pottery and quern stones as well as fragments of Roman pottery and glass (the latter less certainly associated); the Roman finds are of lst or 2nd century AD date.
Near the entrance there is a large boulder decorated with cup-and-ring markings, which forms the lowest course of the wall on the north side.
Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Fife and Tayside’, (1987).
