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Hillend, Motte
Motte (Medieval)(Possible)
Site Name Hillend, Motte
Classification Motte (Medieval)(Possible)
Alternative Name(s) Old Miller's Cottage, Motte
Canmore ID 15602
Site Number NH95SW 8
NGR NH 93301 54777
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/15602
- Council Highland
- Parish Auldearn
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Nairn
- Former County Nairn
NH95SW 8 93299 54776
Motte [NR]
OS 1:10,000 map, 1980.
Location formerly cited as NH 9328 5477.
At NH 9328 5477 is a motte constructed by isolating the W end of a glacial ridge. It is roughly circular measuring, c33.0m in diameter at the base and c6.5m high. The featureless flat summit is irregularly oval measuring c18.0m E to W by c7.5m transversely.
Around the base of the motte is a ditch with an outer bank, c 6.0m average width and c 1.0m average height, which survives on the N and E only. On the S and W it has been destroyed by a field boundary and quarry respectively.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (RL) 7 January 1971.
Scheduled as 'Old Miller's Cottage, motte 95m ESE of... the remains of a later medieval motte visible as a rough grass-covered mound and associate low ditch and outer bank.'
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 27 September 2007.
Field Visit (May 1978)
Hillend NH 932 547 NH95SW 8
A possible motte is situated at the end of a fluvio-glacial ridge. It stands about 6.5m high and may have been surrounded by a ditch, now partly silted up. Dense vegetation covers the site.
RCAHMS 1978, visited May 1978
Watching Brief (3 August 2020)
NH 93429 54754 A watching brief was carried out at a residential development site at Moyness Road. The watching brief was required because of the presence of a Scheduled Monument (SM11644) on site and the potential for buried archaeological remains to be present on the site.
The fieldwork was carried out on 3 August 2020 during which excavations for a service trench and house foundations were monitored by an archaeologist. The area was shown to be previously disturbed by quarrying activities. The Scheduled Monument (SM 11644) on site was fenced off to prevent damage during the works, however, it was observed that works carried out during previous land use had already disturbed the monument. No archaeological features were discovered during the watching brief.
Archive: NRHE
Funder: Private individual
Lindsey Stirling – AOC Archaeology Group
(Source: DES Vol 21)
