Torridon, Lagaidh Dhubh

This township is sited in the perfect spot - above the raised beach on a wide bowl-shaped plateau, defined by higher ground, with the seven structures mainly set around the edge of the bowl on the rising ground. Its main part is defined by a head dyke around its N side that runs across the defile to cut off TOR127, the outcropping bedrock of the hill-ground to the E, by a cross dyke that cuts off the defile in the SE (which runs parallel to that up to TOR127) and a dyke along the burn that crosses the centre of the bowl-shaped plateau E-W. Only the cultivated ground is marked on the 1837 estate map.

126a NG80655720 (MM1) Set near an outcrop is a kiln and attached small structure aligned SW-NE (the kiln being at the SW end). Overall the feature measures c5m by c2.5m over walls c0.6m thick and standing to c 0.4m, with the bowl of the kiln being c2.5m in diameter and surviving to at least 1m deep. Immediately to the NE is a possible structure c5m by c2.5m with a few clearance cairns around its NE area. However, the possible structure could itself be the spread remains of clearance.

126b NG807572 (MM2) Some 30m to the E of the kiln is a rectangular building with rounded ends, aligned NE-SW, with an entrance in the NW wall and measuring c8m by c3m over walls c0.6m thick and standing to more than 1m high in places.

126c NG80755715 (MM3) Some 30m to the S of 126b is another building aligned WSW-ENE with a door in the right and a window in the left of the ESE wall. The building measures c7m by c4m over walls c0.7m thick and standing more than 1m high. Abutting its WSW end is a rounded structure c4m long by c7m wide over walls spread to c1m.

To the SW is an area of rig c4m wide and to the S is an extensive area of clearance cairns as far as the main burn that crosses the centre of the natural bowl of the township ground.

126d NG80855710 (MM4) Just N of the burn, at the break of slope to the hill-ground are two structures - one is aligned W-E with an entrance in the N wall and measures c8m by c3m over walls c0.6m wide and standing as high as 1.5m at the W gable. There is a smaller structure immediately S of it set against a boulder - presumably a store - measuring at most c2.5m by c2.5m with a gap in its walls at the NW 'corner'.

126e NG80855715 (MM5) To the N of 126d is a rectangular building aligned N-S, with an entrance at the S end of the W wall, measuring c5.5m by c4m over walls c0.6m thick and standing up to c1.5m high - the E wall being dug into the hillside.

126f NG80855720 (MM6) To the N of 126e is a rectangular building with rounded ends aligned NE-SW, with an entrance in the left and a ?window in the right of its SE wall. The interior is divided into two, with an entrance through the dividing wall at the SE end of it. The building measures c11m by c 4m over walls c0.8m thick and standing to more than 1m high, with the NE gable being dug into the hillside.

126g NG80855720 (MM7) To the N of 126f is a structure aligned N-S which appears to have been dug into the hillside. It measures c6m by c3m over walls c0.6m thick and up to 0.7m high with an entrance in its S gable.

To the S of the burn across the natural bowl of the township ground is an extensive area of rigs c3m wide, some clearance cairns and a couple of putative structures against the outcropping break in slope. These latter are defined by rough arrangements of piled stones defining areas c3m by c1.5m over 'walls' up to 0.8m thick and up to 0.7m high. The whole area is defined by the remains of an irregular dyke.

TOR96 126

Information from NTS (SCS) January 2014