Benachally

NO04NE 11 centred 072 497

Centred at NO 072 497 is a settlement of five stone- walled huts (A - E) and a contemporary field system.

'A' is a double-walled hut measuring 8.5m internally and 13.0m between outer wall centres with an entrance in the S. There is a curving wall outside on the E forming a contemporary split-level enclosure which measures 21.0m N-S by 7.0m. There is also a contemporary field wall joining the hut on the NNE.

'B' is also double-walled and measures 9.5m in internal diameter and 16.5m between outer wall centres, with an entrance in the SE. On the W side the outer wall expands into an ill-defined and roughly circular annexe c. 10.0m in diameter, the SW side of which is incomplete. A field wall joins its N arc.

About 23.0m W of 'B' is a poorly-preserved single- walled hut circle ('C') measuring 9.5m between wall centres but with no apparent entrance. 'D' is an unusual double-walled hut measuring 8.0m internally and 11.0m N-S between outer wall centres and with an entrance in the SSW. The outer wall on the E expands to form an enclosure measuring 24.5m E-W by 8.0m N-S, similar to hut 'A' of NO 05 SE . Adjoining the W wall of 'D', and probably contemporary with it, is a single-walled hut 'E', measuring 12.0m between the centres of a wall spread to 2.0m. The entrance is in the SE.

The field system has the usual stone clearance heaps, lynchets, and walling associated with the settlements in this area.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (BS) 5 March 1975

Situated on a terrace at the NE foot of Benachally and immediately S of Loch Benachally is a settlement of hut-circles and a field-system. Within the area delineated on the record map there are numerous small cairns (up to 6m in diameter and 0.4m in height) and several lengths of rubble field bank.

1. NO 0730 4966 (OS 'A') This double-walled hut-circle measures 8.4m in diameter within an inner wall defined by a barely discernible spread of boulders with occasional facing-stones (there are three on the SW). Overall the hut-circle measures 15.1m in diameter, but the outer wall is hardly visible beneath a thick growth of heather. The entrance is on the S and appears to lead into an enclosure (measuring 21m NNE-SSW by 9.3m within a boulder wall 1.5m thick and 0.2m high) which is situated adjacent to the E and SE sides of the hut-circle.

2. NO 0722 4975 (OS 'B') This hut-circle is defined by a double-wall of boulders with internal and external diameters of 10m and 16.7m respectively. The walls are poorly preserved (1.1m and 1.5m thick respectively) and the entrance (1.9m wide) is on the SSE.

3. Immediately SW of 2 there is a possible hut-circle measuring 8.5m in diameter within a wall which is spread up to 1.2m in thickness on the NW. The S half of the hut-circle including the entrance is poorly preserved, and a low field bank joins the hut-circle on its N side.

4. NO 0720 4975 (OS 'C') Situated 12m WNW of 2 there is a hut-circle which measures about 7.8m in diameter within a rubble wall spread up to 2.3m in thickness and 0.1m in height; the position of the entrance is not apparent.

5 and 6. NO 0710 4957 (OS 'D' and 'E') Situated on a low terrace above and to the SW of the four previous hut-circles, there are a further two set side by side. The larger is on the W and measures 10.5m in diameter within a wall up to 1.2m in thickness by 0.3m in height. Inner facing-stones are visible on the W and NW and outer facing-stones on the W, and the 1.7m wide entrance is on the SSE. The smaller hut-circle is set tangentially to the E side of the larger and measures 7.3m in diameter within a wall (0.8m thick by 0.1m high) whose inner face is marked by a series of slabs laid on edge; its entrance is on the SSW. From the E side of the entrance a low outer wall loops out to the E to form an enclosure measuring 14.5m from E to W by 9.5m internally; this outer wall is concentric to the N side of the smaller hut-circle, and it joins the wall of the larger on the NE.

7. About 4m SW of 5 there is a small circular structure, possibly a hut-circle, measuring 3.6m in diameter within a boulder wall which has a well-defined inner face. This wall measures up to 1.4m in thickness and 0.3m in height and the entrance (1.2m wide) is on the ESE.

8. What may be a second small hut-circle lies 16m S of 5 and measures 6.5m in diameter within a rubble wall up to 1.2m thick and 0.3m high.

No formal facing to this wall is visible and the ill-defined entrance is on the ESE.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 18 June 1987.

RCAHMS 1990.