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Archaeology Notes

Event ID 794080

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/794080

NJ41NE 1.02 4610 1927

This souterrain is situated under a small stand of trees 330m SW of Muirs of Kildrummy steading (NJ41NE 74) and appears to be covered by a low mound measuring no more than 0.6m in height. The interior is accessible by way of the original entrance at the NE end, where a wooden doorway of relatively recent date has been placed a short distance into the passage. The passage is orientated NE and SW, and is roughly S-shaped on plan, measuring about 10.5m in length and varying in breadth from 1.2m at the entrance to 2.5m close to the SW end. The walls of the passage, which are up to 1.6m in height, are constructed of dry-stone rubble set on a basal course of large boulders, and are corbelled to such an extent that along the SE side the top of the wall overhangs the base by as much as 0.6m. Several corbel-stones appear to have slipped out of position and fence-posts have been placed under them to prevent them collapsing into the chamber. The roof of the souterrain is constructed of large granite slabs and, except for a length of about 1.5m where the slabs have been removed at the entrance, is complete.

The entrance is framed by two short jamb-stones set 0.7m apart and measuring 0.8m in height, and at least three steps (which may be modern) can be seen descending within the narrow entrance passage, which measures 0.9m in breadth and has a surviving length of 0.9m.

Two of the basal stones of the main passage are cupmarked. One of them, which lies midway along the SE side, is heavily cupmarked, and measures 1.2m in length and at least 0.45m in height, and on its face there are at least 37 cups, the largest measuring up to about 40mm in diameter. The second stone has been incorporated into the basal course on the NW side some 2.4m from the NW door-jamb. The stone measures 0.42m in length by 0.33m in height, and there are at least four cupmarks on its face, the largest measuring up to 60mm in diameter.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS), 15 October 1997.

Scheduled [with NJ41NE 1.01] as Muirs of Kildrummy, souterrains 230m W of and 350m SSW of...

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 2 December 2003.

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