Balnagowan Wood
Enclosure(S) (Prehistoric), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric), Axehead(S) (Stone)(Prehistoric)
Site Name Balnagowan Wood
Classification Enclosure(S) (Prehistoric), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric), Axehead(S) (Stone)(Prehistoric)
Canmore ID 15156
Site Number NH85NW 4
NGR NH 81664 55122
NGR Description NH 81664 55122 and NH 81763 55120
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/15156
- Council Highland
- Parish Ardersier
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Inverness
- Former County Inverness-shire
NH85NW 4 817 551 (NH 8166 5512 and NH 8176 5512).
(Name: NH 8175 5516) Camp (NR) (Site of)
(Applied without detail or symbol. There is, however, a sub-circular feature 11.0m in diameter, represented by pecks at NH 8166 5511, braced into Balnagown Wood.)
OS 6" map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1906)
Six or eight of these enclosures, which are not protected or united by any general wall or ditch, are entire and each would hold 30-40 men.
G Anderson and P Anderson 1842.
Circular earthen mounds in two parallel lines were evident on the heath of Balnagown some years before 1841, and were 'a dart's throw' from each other. Described as fortlets or enclosures, some were 'carried away as compost, others were destroyed or mutilated by the line of the road which passes through the encampment' but several remain. Stone axes have been found in the neighbourhood.
NSA 1845.
Two oval stone-walled huts ('A': NH 8166 5512; 'B': NH 8176 5512) (OS {R D} 16 August 1964) in Balnagown Wood. Each measures c. 13.0m from the WNW through the vegetation-choked simple entrance in the ESE by c. 10.0m, between the centres of a wall spread to c. 3.5m. The NW arc of 'A' is overlaid by a fence.
About 70.0m SSW of hut 'A' is oval hollow which may possibly be a denuded hut. It measures c. 14.0m WNW-ESE by c. 11.0m and is 0.5m deep. There is no trace of walling around its rim.
There is no sign of contempoary cultivation in the area.
Surveyed at 1:2500 (OS [RD] 16 August 1964)
Visited by OS (A A), 28 January 1971.
Field Visit (19 September 1943)
This site was included within the RCAHMS Emergency Survey (1942-3), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, vary from short notes to lengthy and full descriptions and are available to view online with contemporary sketches and photographs. The original typescripts, manuscripts, notebooks and photographs can also be consulted in the RCAHMS Search Room.
Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 10 December 2014.
Field Visit (July 1978)
Milton of Balnagowan NH 816 551, 817 551 NH85NW 4
The remains of what are probably two hut-circles can be seen in woodland 240m ENE and 150m NE respectively of Milton of Balnagowan farmhouse. Each measures about 9.5m in diameter within a sandy bank spread to 3.5m in thickness. The more easterly of the two is surrounded by a quarry-scoop.
RCAHMS 1979, visited July 1978
NSA, xiv, Inverness, p.471
