Watenan
Dam (Period Unassigned), Quarry (Period Unassigned), Sheep Dip (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Watenan
Classification Dam (Period Unassigned), Quarry (Period Unassigned), Sheep Dip (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 271687
Site Number ND34SW 475
NGR ND 31679 41191
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/271687
- Council Highland
- Parish Wick
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Caithness
- Former County Caithness
ND34SW 475 ND 31679 41191
This sheep-dip (YARROWS04 209) is situated at the foot of an old quarry face 120m SW of Watenan farmstead. It comprises a stone-lined trough measuring 2.3m from NE to SW by 0.6m transversely within edge-set slabs on the NW and SE, and a vertical concrete wall on the NE; on the SW there is an exit ramp leading out onto an area of hard standing. A row of edge-set slabs immediately SE of the dip was probably designed to act in tandem with the quarry face on the NW to assist in funnelling sheep towards the trough.
The limestone quarry (YARROWS04 566) comprises a scarp that has been quarried over a distance of at least 70m from NE to SW and a height of 10m. A dam (YARROWS04 565) lies immediately SW of the sheep-dip and is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Caithness 1877, sheet xxix), forming the NE end of a millpond serving Watenan farmstead.
(YARROWS04 209, 565, 566)
Visited by RCAHMS (AGCH) 26 May 2004.
