Law Hill, Arnbathie

NO12NE 14 170 262.

(NO 171 262) Hut Circles (NR) (5 shown)

OS 6" map, Perthshire, 2nd ed., (1901)

NO 170 260. One ('D') of a group of five hut circles (Information from M E C Stewart, 29 August 1953) was investigated by the Archaeological Section of Perthshire Society of Natural Science. The interior was roughly paved and was surrounded by a turf and stone wall, lined with boulders. There was a possible hearth. A grave containing a cremation was subsequent to the primary occupation.

CBA 1950.

Five circular enclosures were locted in the area centred on NO 171 262. They are as follows:-

A. Grassy outline 12.0m diameter; no entrance apparent.

B. 11.0m diameter centre to centre bounded by a grass-covered stony bank c. 4.0m maximum width, 1.2m high externally and 0.3m internally (maxima). Flanking bank on south side may have been in the NW side.

C. 15.3m diameter centre to centre bounded by a turf-covered stony bank 0.5m and 0.3m maximum external and internal heights respectively. The interior is scooped while the entrance is in the WNW side.

D. 17.0m overall diameter. The stone wall of this enclosure, 1.3m thick, is exposed along the entire SW half and has a maximum height of 0.6m. There are two gaps in the circle and it is not possible to say which is the entrance. The floor of the enclosure is of stone but partly now grassed over.

E. 13.8m diameter centre to centre bounded by a turf-covered stony bank 0.6m and 0.5m maximum external and internal heights respectively; the probable entrance is in the NW side. The interior is slightly scooped. Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (E G C) 11 October 1963.

The remains of five hut-circles are scattered over the area to the N of the fort NO12NE 2. See also NO12NE 38 for another hut-circle in the vicinity.

1. NO 1708 2612 (OS Hut-Circle 'D') This hut-circle is situated on a narrow NW-facing terrace and was partially excavated in 1950. It measures 12.8m in diameter within a boulder-faced bank up to 1.6m in thickness and 0.5m in height. The largest of the inner facing-stones are on the SW where the thickness of the wall reduces to about 1.1m. The entrance is not now visible.

2. NO 1699 2620 (OS Hut-Circle 'E'). This hut-circle lies on a NNE-facing slope and measures 8.5m in diameter within a wall reduced to a grass-grown bank measuring up to 2.5m in thickness and 0.3m in height. The interior has been levelled into the slope and the bank is best-preserved on the uphill side. On the E there are several large boulders which are probably the remains of the outer wall-face.

3. NO 1706 2624 (OS Hut-Circle 'A') This hut-circle is situated on the edge of a SW-facing terrace and measures about 9m in diameter within a boulder-faced wall up to 1.7m in thickness and 0.3m in height. The entrance is not visible but the SW arc is masked by a later bank.

4. NO 1709 2629 (OS 'Hut-Circle 'B') This hut-circle is situated on a gentle SW-facing slope. It measures 11.5m in diameter within a bank up to 4m in thickness and 0.5m in height. On the W the bank has been reduced to little more than a scarp, and on the NE it is partially masked by field clearance; a wide gap on the ESE probably marks the entrance.

5. NO 1720 2623 (OS 'Hut-Circle 'C') This hut-circle has been levelled into a gentle W-facing slope and has an entrance on the NW. It measures 11.5m in diameter within a grass-grown, boulder-faced bank up to 2m in thickness and 0.4m in height.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 19 May 1989.