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Field Visit
Date 14 December 1989
Event ID 735653
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/735653
NO56NW 75.01 534 691
The cottertoun is spread out over an area 340m from E to W by 100m and may be divided into three different elements:
(formerly NO56NW 75.01.01)
It is evident from the survey that the two buildings and the other features identified on the 1st edition OS 6-inch map (Forfarshire 1865, xix) survive either as ruinous walls or, in the case of the two buildings (32m by 4.5m and 24m by 4.5m overall), as grass-covered stone footings. Although both buildings have been severely robbed, the E end of the more westerly building appears to overlie the enclosure bank surrounding the ridged area. A stony bank encloses a small sub-square area E of the more easterly of the two, this is also recorded on the 1st edition OS 6-inch map (Forfarshire 1865, xix).
(formerly NO56NW 75.01.02)
In the ground to the NW of the buildings at NO 534 691, there are the grass-covered stone footings of a further six rectangular buildings, some of which overlie the rig-and-furrow.
To the NE of the drystone dyke running up the ridge, these include from W to E: a two-compartment building (9.5m by 4.5m overall and with an outshot on the E end), which is attached to a rectilinear enclosure; outside the enclosure to the NW, a second two-compartment building, of similar size but with a rounded E end; a three-compartment building (13m by 4m overall) overlies the rig and the enclosure bank to the NW of the buildings (at NO 534 691); a single cell building (14m by 4.5m overall), with a rounded W end as well as traces of a small enclosure to its NW, both of which are situated to the E of the main enclosure bank; a single cell building, which is situated end-on and to the N of a second of similar size (7m and 6m long respectively and 3.5m wide overall), both overlying the enclosure bank; and an open-ended structure (10m by 4.5m overall), with its open end to the S, which is situated immediately to the N.
To the SW of the dyke three rectangular buildings are located to the W of the sheepfold, all reduced to grass-covered stone footings about 0.3m high. These comprise a two-compartment building (9m by 5m overall), a longer and narrower building of four compartments (14m by 4m overall) and a kiln barn itself of two compartments (13m by 4.5m overall), with the kiln on the W end. The east end of the kiln-barn runs up against a cultivation terrace on a NW-SE axis. There are a number of stone heaps in this area, possibly due to the collapse of stone dykes, but much of it clearance from recent ploughing.
(formerly NO56NW 75.01.03)
About 100m W of the main concentration of the settlement, on the SW flank of the ridge, there are three small rectangular buildings with their long axes aligned along the contour. The foundations, which are of grass-covered boulders, stand up to 0.35m high and are terraced into the slope. The buildings measure between 4.5m and 8m in length and 3.5m and 4m in width. It is possible that they are not part of the same phase or type of settlement as the cottertoun.
Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 14 December 1989
