Archaeology Notes

Event ID 776390

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/776390

NH79NE 44 77549 98219 (NH 77563 98238 to NH 76872 97704)

For adjacent (The) Mound Station (NH 7752 9835), see NH79NE 45.

THE MOUND [NAT] (name centred NH 7718 9793)

OS 1:10,000 map, 1971.

(Location cited as NH 769 978 to 774 982). The Mound, built 1814-16 by engineer Thomas Telford. An embankment with a bridge at the northern end, spanning the mouth of Loch Fleet. The bridge was originally of 4-arch form but had two further arches added by Joseph Mitchell in 1837. The arches are fitted with non-return flap valves to prevent sea water penetrating to Loch Fleet.

J R Hume 1977.

This earthern mound or dyke was built by Telford to prevent seawater flooding of the low-lying land watered by the rivers Carnaig and Fleet. Its construction severely tested the builders and was superintended by John Mitchell, Telford's resident deputy in the Highlands.

The bridge is the most northerly section of the mound, and is overshadowed by the new A9 bridge. It is both beautiful and unusual in form, incorporating non-return valves in the form of wooden flaps. Small stone buildings on each side house winding-gear to raise some of the flaps so as to allow the passage of fish. The posts upstream of the bridge are intended to protect it against floating debris and ice-floes.

The Dornoch Light Railway crossed the bridge between 1900 and 1960.

G Nelson 1990.

This causeway formerly carried the Dornoch Light Railway and the A9 public road over the estuary of the River Fleet (and its tributary the Carnaig) near the inner end of Loch Fleet, between the parishes of Golspie and Dornoch.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 6 May 1998.

This causeway carries the A9 (T) public road across the inner (NW) end of Loch Fleet, at the lower (SE) end of Strath Fleet. The River Fleet passes under the NE end, and here forms the boundary between the parishes of Golspie (to the NE) and Dornoch (to the SW).

The location assigned to this record defines the midpoint of the structure. The available map evidence indicates that it extends from NH c. 77563 98238 to NH c. 76872 97704.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 10 May 2006.