Archaeology Notes
Event ID 694396
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Archaeology Notes
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/694396
NR26NE 3 250 665.
(Centred NR 251 665). A group of at least four or five possible hut circles or enclosures lies in the vicinity of An Sithean, the Fairy Knoll, (NR 2513 6650) at least three being on the S side of the road and at least one on the N. (Note the undescribed enclosures, published at NR 2502 6644, NR 2570 6658, NR 2525 6645 and NR 252 6658). All are overgrown with bracken, but there appear to be others nearby. They lie just below the ridge on gently sloping ground overlooking the loch and measures about 28ft to 30ft in diameter with walls 2ft to 3ft high composed mainly of stones which are easily lifted in one hand but with some boulders.
The entrances are invariably in the SW and in one case measured 10ft in width.
J Whittaker 1956; P Lerwin and F Celoria 1958; F Celoria 1959; T Pennant 1776.
With these round houses is associated a field system forming an extensive settlement. The field dykes are so arranged that the SE or E entrances to the houses open onto one field but are excluded from the next. Within the dykes towards the W are stack-like, vertical-sided clearance cairns. A tentative Celto-Viking origin is suggested, possibly persisting into the Medieval period. Masked by this later system, are more ruinous, more overgrown dykes, and, at one point, a simpler hut circle and small cairn are enclosed by an oval dyke, lost in marsh on the W. Two of the later houses have beside them at NR 252 667 and NR 253 665, bi-cellular, sub-rectangular founddations, possibly of stone houses. The latter measures 20ft across with a 4ft wide wall, which bifurates round the N to provide a 6ft wide annexe. Both house and annexe are entered from the E.
F Newall and H E Newall 1961.
Centred NR 250 665. A multi-phase settlement is situated on a gentle W facing slope in open moorland. It comprises 7 hut circles and an extensive system of field banks lying between 30m and 45m OD.
NR 2525 6661. 'A' Scooped into a small knoll this hut is 8.0m internal diameter with a dished featureless interior. The substantial turf covered walling, 2.0m in maximum width is 1.1m high internally and externally is visible as a 0.2m high rim. Several inner facing stones are visible and there is a 1.5m wide entrance in the SE. This is guarded at a distance of 3.0m by a curving turf-covered stone bank 5.0m long 2.0m wide and 0.3m high. Nearby to the SE are the footings of two sub-oval structures 4.0m long by 2.5m. The turf-covered stone walls with some inner facing stones evident are 0.3m high. They appear contemporanous with the hut but their purpose is not clear.
NR 2524 6647. 'B'. Similar to 'A', this hut is situated on a level shelf and measures 10.8m in overall diameter. The substantial turf covered walling spread to 3.5m is 1.1m high with some facing stones evident. There is a 1.2m wide orthostated entrance in the SE. A turf-covered stone bank 2.5m wide joins the hut in the NW and curves away to the E before fading in the peat.
NR 2522 6639. 'C'. This poorly preserved hut circle levelled into the gentle slope is 13.0m overall diameter. The mutilated turf covered wall 3.0m in width and 0.6m high encloses an uneven featureless interior. There is a 1.5m wide orthostated entrance in the SE. Turf-covered stone banks 2.5m wide and 0.5m high join the hut and lead away to the SW and NE respectively for distances of approximately 30.0m before
disappearing in the peat.
NR 2511 6652. 'D'. Levelled into a small knoll this hut is 13.5m in overall diameter. The substantial turf covered walling with some inner facing stones visible is 3.0m wide and 1.1m high and encloses a dished featureless interior. There is a 1.8m wide partly orthostated entrance in the SE. A turf covered stone field bank 3.0m wide and 0.5m high skirts the hut at a distance of 2.0m on the W side and leads away to the NW and SW for short distances before fading into the peat.
NR 2508 6660. 'E'. This hut levelled into the gentle slope is 15.0m in overall diameter. The substantial turf covered walling spread to 3.5m in width is 1.2m high. Fragmentary inner and outer facing on the N side give a wall width of 2.8m and there is a 2.5m wide entrance gap in the SE. A turf covered linear clearance bank 2.5m wide and 0.6m high joins the hut in the NE and leads away to the N before fading in the peat. An oval stony turf covered mound 5.0m by 3.0m and 0.5m high abutts the hut on the W side; this is possibly ?later field clearance but this is not clear.
NR 2499 6646. 'F'. A peat and heather covered hut circle levelled into the slope 12.0m in overall diameter. The stone bank with some facing stones visible is spread to 2.5m in width and 0.7m high. There is a 1.5m wide entrance in the SE at the change of slope. What appears to be an internal dividing bank and another 'entrance' in the S is probably fortuitous disturbance.
NR 2495 6647. 'G'. This hut similar to but less sub tantial than 'F' is 11.5m in overall diameter. The bank with some stone evident is spread to 2.5m and is 0.5m high on downhill side and 0.3m high elsewhere. A vague gap in the SE at change of slope is probably the entrance. An apparently contemporaneous peat and heather covered bank 2.5m wide and 0.3m high runs from E to W at a distance of 20.0m to the N of the hut then fades in the peat. Near to the hut is an oval turf covered stony mound, probably clearance but not clearly contemporaneous with the hut.
The area surrounding the huts and further to the N and W extending to approximately 14.0ha has many field banks evident. These are mainly fragmented but immediately NW of hut 'E' is a field measuring 60.0m by 45.0m. In the field are 7 turf and heather covered clearance heaps averaging 3.5m in sub-circular diameter and 1.1m high, at least one has a living rock base. Further to the NW is a developed system of field banks, mainly clearance heaped up to form a boundary. There are also two large (averaging 13.0m by 8.0m) clearance heaps at NR 2498 6689 and NR 2492 6671.
There are three different types of field bank: (a) the low peat covered boulder bank as near huts 'F' and 'G'; (b) the more substantial bank as the one skirting hut 'D' and joining huts 'B' and 'C'; (c) the sinuous linear clearance banks to the NW of the settlement area.
The huts 'F' and 'G' are similar, being of less substantial build to the others and probably represent a different phases but no where can their exact relationship be seen.
Huts surveyed at 1:10 000.
Visited by OS (T R G) 7 May 1978.
The archive from the 1981 excavation at An Sithean has been catalogued. It consists of photographic material, drawings and manuscripts.
Historic Scotland Archive Project (FO) 1996
