Field Visit
Date 1 June 2009
Event ID 575146
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/575146
The township of Balnakailly is situated on a NE-facing terrace in a clearing in commercial forestry. It comprises five buildings, a stone built fold, an enclosure and field banks. The construction type ranges from turf on stone footings to faced rubble built walls, standing up to wall head height. The largest building (at NS 01873 73939) is aligned E-W, and measures 14.3m by 5.4m transversely, within faced rubble walls 0.7m in thickness and up to 1.6m in height. There is an entrance in the S side, into the fold and there is one cruck slot in the N side wall and two in the S side wall, one of which has been blocked. The NE corner of the building has been re-built and there is an entrance in the S side wall, towards the W end, which appears to be a later insert. This entrance opens into a second building immediately to the S, which abuts the larger building. This building measures 8.7m by 4.4m transversely, within faced rubble walls that stand up to 1.2m in height. It is aligned N-S and there is an entrance in the S end. There is a further building to the E of the largest building and two to the NNW. There is a midden pit to the E of the largest building. The field banks extend to the NW and S of the buildings. The site is named 'Balnacoily' and depicted as three buildings on the Foulis map of 1758-9 (RHP 14107/70), with a yard to the E and cultivation remains to the N and E. The site is also depicted on Mackinlay's map of 1823, showing what appears to be one building and at least two enclosures. The site is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Argyllshire and Buteshire 1869, Sheet CLXXXII) as one roofed building, which is the largest building, three unroofed buildings, three enclosures and an area of cleared ground to the E of the buildings. Two roofed buildings and an enclosure are depicted on the 2nd edition OS map (Argyllshire and Buteshire 1901, Sheet CLXXXII SE). On the date of visit the knocking stone could not be located.
Visited by RCAHMS (AGCH, GB) 1 June 2009.
