Field Visit
Date 2 December 1987
Event ID 684159
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/684159
NO15SW 30 139 510 to 143 510.
Two groups of hut-circles are situated within a scatter of cairns that extends along the shoulder of the hill to the SSE of the Bridge of Cally Hotel. The better preserved examples are in the western group; traces of the others are very slight and were only recorded by oblique sunlight at about 1pm on a winters afternoon (NO 139 510 - NO 143 510).
1. NO 1404 5101 The best-preserved hut-circle lies on a terrace on the low ridge to the NE of the old military road, 90m E of the gateway into the birch wood that covers the flank of the hill. It has been reduced to a shallow depression 10.2m in diameter, with the remains of a stony bank up to 2m thick by 0.3m high surviving around the E and W arcs. There are three inner facing-stones on the NW, one a massive boulder 1.6m long by 0.3m high. The entrance was probably on the SSE.
2. NO 1405 5100 A hut-circle lies immediately to the ESE. It has been reduced to a platform measuring about 6m in diameter and dug into the slope on the E. On the WSW there are traces of a stony bank on the lip of the platform which is about 0.4m high, and there are also stones protruding through the turf at the top of the backscarp on the E. The entrance was probably on the SSW.
3. NO 1406 5099 On a terrace above the platform there is a robbed hut-circle measuring about 7.8m in diameter within a stony bank up to 1.7m in thickness by 0.2m in height. Five large boulders on the SE are probably inner facing-stones, but only one appears to be in situ, and the course of the inner face is marked by a robbed trench round to the N. The entrance was probably on the SSE. Immediately to the NE of the hut-circle there are possible traces of another stony ring about 8m in internal diameter.
4. NO 1404 5099 Another possible hut-circle, about 6m in internal diameter, is overlain by a modern pen to the S of (1). Little more than a shallow hollow with a stony lip survives, but on the W the lip develops into an arc of bank 1.2m thick and 0.2m high. The entrance was probably on the SSW.
5. NO 1402 5097 What may be the S half of another hut-circle is visible on the side of the military road to the SW of (4). It has an overall diameter of 15m and on the W there appear to have been two walls, but this may be the result of later disturbance.
6. NO 1413 5093 On the opposite side of the military road, some 110m to the ESE, there are the remains of what may be the N half of a hut-circle. It measures about 7.2m in diameter within an arc of bank up to 2m thick by 0.3m high.
7. NO 1427 5100 The principal hut-circle of the eastern group lies 50m SSW of the SE corner of the birch wood. It measures about 8m in diameter within a low stony swelling up to 3m in thickness; the interior has probably been levelled into the slope on the S. On the slope around the entire S half of the hut-circle, there are also traces of a concentric stony scarp up to 0.3m high, with an internal diameter of 17.8m; the scarp is similar to the outer banks of some double-walled hut-circles set on slopes, but in this case there is no evidence that it ever continued around the N.
8. NO 1429 5099 To the E there is another hut-circle measuring 7.5m in diameter within a low stony swelling about 2m in thickness.
9. NO 1430 5102 About 20m downslope to the N of (8) there is another hut-circle in a similar state of preservation, with an internal diameter of 6.5m.
10. NO 1425 5100 Immediately below a group of large boulders due W of (1) there is a hollow 7m in diameter with traces of a stony bank about 1.5m thick around its W side. It may also be the remains of a hut-circle.
11. NO 1423 5099 A further 15m to the W, at the foot of a natural scarp there is what appears to be an arc of ditch about 2.3m broad. Where the outer lip of the ditch cuts back into the slope on the S it forms a scarp up to 0.4m in height. It may indicate the site of a ring-ditch house with an overall diameter of at least 10.2m. The best-preserved of the small cairns extend along the slope above the birch wood but there are traces of clearance continuing for at least 100m beyond the western group of hut-circles. The largest of the cairns is about 4m in diameter and there are also several stony banks forming low scarps on the slopes above the birch wood.
Visited by RCAHMS (SPH) 2 December 1987.
RCAHMS 1990.
