Kiltyrie

NN63NW 106 62461 37715 and NN 62436 37718.

These two buildings stand about 20m apart in unenclosed rough pasture above Kiltyrie, about 320m E of the public road from Lochtayside to Bridge of Balgie. They both have bowed sides and rounded ends, and appear to be constructed almost entirely of turf. That to the E, which stands on the E bank of a minor burn, measures 8m from NE to SW by 3.2m transversely within banks 0.3m in height, and has a possible entrance on the SE. That to the W, which stands on a terrace to the W of the burn, is also aligned NE to SW and measures 5.9m by 3m within banks 0.3m in height. Again, the entrance may have been on the SE.

(BL00 150)

Visited by RCAHMS (MFTR) 18 April 2000 and (SDB) 10 March 2004

The third excavation season of the Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project was undertaken in September 2004. The project continued the investigation of sites previously trial trenched in April 2004 ... (including) ... a turf building at Kiltyrie.

NN 6250 3750 Trench 17 had been first opened in April 2004 over a turf structure within an area of rig and furrow cultivation above the head dyke. In September the trench was expanded to encompass the entire structure (12 x 7m). The building had been constructed almost entirely of turf and had a slightly off-centre hearth and some evidence of timber supports to hold up its roof. No dateable artefacts were recovered from the site, but radiocarbon dating of material from the hearth suggests occupation in the 13th century AD.

Sponsors: HS, HLF, NTS, SNH, GUARD

J A Atkinson 2004

The previous report refers to the eastern of the two buildings described by RCAHMS, which is situated at NN 62461 37715. Further details of the excavations are given in two reports published by GUARD (RCAHMS MS/2057 and MS 2367).

Information from RCAHMS (SDB) 5 March 2007.