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Balnald Burn
Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric)
Site Name Balnald Burn
Classification Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric)
Alternative Name(s) Glen Derby
Canmore ID 27209
Site Number NO05NE 1
NGR NO 0638 5950
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/27209
- Council Perth And Kinross
- Parish Kirkmichael (Perth And Kinross)
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District Perth And Kinross
- Former County Perthshire
NO05NE 1 063 595.
Several groups of circular enclosures are to be found on either side of the footpath up Glenderby between the head of the glen where there is a shepherd's house (? Mains of Glenderby - NO 040 594) and the farm of Balnald (NO 073 595).
C Maclagan 1875
Plan no 1 represents two groups very near the head of the glen; there may be others even further up. The line A-A marks the footpath. The group on the SW side is comp- osed of large circles over 40' in diameter, on ground which overhangs the River Derby 100' below. These have two or three concentric walls. The cluster on the NE side is about 1/2 mile up the side of a mountain which is crowned by a modern wall.
A quarter of a mile further down the glen are two more groups (B and C on plan no 2) with a conical hill at 'A' surmounted by a large central circle with vestiges of an outer one. Two of the circles at 'B' are of the same class with an inner diameter of 25'. The group at 'C' are 10' in diameter, enclosed by walls 7' - 10' thick.
The groups at 'D' and 'E' (plan no 3) are on a rocky headland which overhangs the river. Several of the circles 10' in diameter with walls 7' thick, are connected to the adjoining ones by galleries.
(Plan no 4): These circles, near Balnald farm, are larger than the others and are formed of much greater stones.
(A) No 1 is 60' in diameter; nos 4, 5, 6 and 7 are about 20'.
M E C Stewart 1964
Field Visit (30 October 1973)
On a knoll at about 1,050' O D are 8 heather-covered stone-walled huts (A-H) and an associated field system.
'A' - NO 0630 5950 is a probable hut, deeply scarped into the hillside, measuring about 9.0m from centre to centre, with walling of indeterminate width. A slight lowering of the bank in the S suggests an entrance.
'B' - NO 0631 5956 is slightly oval, measuring 11.3m N-S by 10.8m E-W from centre to centre; the massive walling is spread to an indeterminate width and is not more than 0.6m high. The entrance is in the SSE.
'C' - NO 0635 5950 is scarped slightly into the slope measuring 0.9m in diameter from centre to centre with walling of indeterminate width. A lowering of the bank in the S suggests an entrance.
'D' - NO 0636 5950, tangential to 'C', is oval, measuring 14.8m N-S by 13.0m E-W overall with walling of indeterminate width. Some massive outer facing stones survive by the entrance in the SSE.
'E' - NO 0637 5951, tangential to 'D', is oval, measuring 11.6m N-S and 10.5m E-W from centre to centre with walling spread to an indeterminate width. The entrance is in the SSE.
'F' - NO 0638 5951, tangential to 'E', is scarped into the hillside and circular, measuring 10.8m from centre to centre with walling spread to an indeterminate width. There is no evidence of an entrance.
'G': Hut circle set into the slope, 10.5m in diameter between the centres of a wall spread to an indeterminate width. No entrance is evident.
'H': Hut circle set into the slope and measuring 10.0m in diameter between the centres of an ill-defined wall. Part of the inner face is visible in the NE. No entrance is evident. The field system consists of clearance heaps, lynchets and field walls.
Huts surveyed at 1:10,000.
Visited by OS (ISS) 30 October 1973
Field Visit (2 May 1988)
A group of eight hut-circles is situated on the crest and SE face of a terrace on the N side of the Balnald Burn about 800m W of Middle Balnald steading. No trace of a field-system was noted around the hut-circles and they are described from W to E.
1. NO 0630 5950 (OS 'A') This hut-circle has been levelled to a depth of about 1.5m into a steep SW-facing slope on the edge of the terrace; it measures 8.5m in internal diameter and its wall has been reduced to a low scarp on the E and a low, ill-defined bank on the W.
Like all the hut-circles on the terrace, it was covered with heather on the date of visit and the entrance was not visible.
2. NO 0631 5955 (OS 'B') Situated about 40m NNE of (1) there are
the substantial remains of a hut-circle measuring 8.4m in diameter within a wall 1.6m in thickness and 0.3m in height; the entrance is on the SSE.
3. NO 0635 5950 (OS 'C') Situated about 40m E of (1) there are the remains of a hut-circle which is defined by little more than a low
bank on the W and a scarp (0.3m high) on the E. It measures about 7m in internal diameter but the entrance was not visible.
4. NO 0636 5950 (OS 'D') Tangential to the E side of (3) there is a hut-circle which is largely defined by its hollow interior; it measures about 9.5m in diameter within a low bank 1.1m in thickness
and 0.2m in height. There is no visible entrance but several outer facing stones can be seen on the SE.
5. NO 0636 5951 (OS 'E') This hut-circle lies immediately NE of (4) and measures about 8.8m in diameter within a low bank 2m in thickness and 0.2m in height; the entrance was not visible on the date of visit.
6. NO 0638 5951 (OS 'F') Situated immediately to the E of (4) and levelled to a depth of about 0.3m into the E-facing slope, there are the remains of a hut-circle measuring 9.7m in diameter within a wall reduced to a low scarp at rear and elsewhere a stony bank 1.5m in thickness and 0.2m in height. The entrance is probably located on the SE where there is a shallow depression in the bank.
7. NO 0648 5948 (OS 'G') Situated at the foot of the SE-face of the terrace and some 100m ESE of (6), there are the remains of a hut-circle measuring about 8.2m in internal diameter. The interior has been dug up to c.0.6m into the slope on the NW and elsewhere is defined by a wall reduced to a bank (1.3m thick and 0.3m high).
Several inner and outer facing-stones are visible and the entrance is on the SE.
8. NO 0651 5942 (OS 'H') This hut-circle is situated about 60m SSE of (7) and immediately S of a disused hollow trackway. It measures about 9m in internal diameter and is defined by a rear scarp (1m high on the NW) and a low fronting wall (1.3m thick and 0.2m high). The entrance is on the SSE .
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 2 May 1988.
RCAHMS 1990
