Viewhill

NH75SE 2 7861 5457.

At Dalyards, fragments of the ruins of a large building existed in the beginning of the 18th century and the building is supposed to have been either a religious house or fortalice belonging to the Knights-templar. Though now in a cultivated field, agricultural operations have not entirely obliterated traces of the surrounding fosse. Dalyards is shown, a little out of place, in Gordon of Straloch's Map of Moray, 1640 (but this gives no information)

New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845.

Possibly mentioned in 1296 AD, the Templar's lands in Ardersier are definitely mentioned in Acts and Charters dated 1611, 1626 and 1661 AD.

Orig Paroch Scot 1855.

'All traces of the building and fosse are now removed and General Wade's Military Road is supposed to have gone through a corner of it'. Dalyards applies to a cultivated field.

Name Book 1870.

Double ditched rectangular enclosure.

Visible on J K St Joseph air photograph D 79; flown before 22 December 1950.

In a wheat field at NH 7861 5457 there is an L shaped, dark crop mark probably the trace of the ditches, of this double ditched rectangular enclosure. There is no trace of the ruined building mentioned by the NSA (1845).

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (RD) 18 August 1964.