Banchor

NH 76300 24000 (Canmore ID: 115717) The township of Banchor, on the S side of the River Findhorn and 8km SW of Tomatin, was surveyed using plane tables by members of NOSAS as part of a training exercise on 13 September and 24 October 2014; the N part of the site at a scale of 1:200 and the S part at 1:500.

The township is bisected by a minor surfaced road and consists of at least 13 buildings, 2 corn drying kilns, a lime kiln and 4 enclosures. They appear to be divided into several phases, although it is probable that there is some overlap.

Early phase – The turf footings, sometimes barely discernible, of at least six buildings, possibly seven, and an enclosure are seen on the steep N-facing ground to the S of the road. Also on this side of the road there are the stone and turf footings of a rectangular building with a rounded end, a stone-walled enclosure and a lime kiln which almost certainly belong to a later phase. At least two more recent phases are represented by the stone footings of six buildings, two corn drying kilns, two enclosures and a possible sheep dip on the more level ground to the N of the road.

Most recent phase – The main building has coursed rubble walls up to 1.5m high; there are two compartments, a small outshot in the S wall and evidence of several splayed windows. The L-shaped byre also has walls standing to eave height; but in addition there are several cruck slots here. This building has seen much alteration and reuse. It has evidence of a drain and a pit which was probably a sheepdip. A terraced walkway with a stone edge is seen around the SE side.

Middle phase - Three of the buildings on the N side of the road have stone footings only up to 0.5m and two of these had been bisected by the road. Two of the buildings have evidence of small outshots or ‘bed neuks’ incorporated into their front walls, a feature which seems to be quite common in this area.

One of the small buildings is recessed into the slope and was probably a store. One of the corn drying kilns had a nicely preserved stone-faced bowl, whilst the other was more or less completely grassed over and may have been of turf construction.

Archive: NOSAS. Report: Highland HER and National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE)

Meryl Marshall - NOSAS

(Source: DES, Volume 16)

A township comprising three roofed, four unroofed buildings, an enclosure and a lime kiln is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire 1874, sheet xliv). One roofed, three unroofed buildings and an enclosure are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1990).

Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 26 June 1996.