Corrievuic

The former township of Corrievuic is situated 1.5km W of Scardroy Lodge above the fertile valley floor. There appears to have been considerable activity at Corrievuic particularly over the last 200 years; elements of the former township occupy the NE part of the site but it is likely that other elements have been erased by the construction of a later farmstead with a horse gang and threshing mill and latterly a sheepfold.

The township comprises the remains of 8 buildings, 3 enclosures, a possible kiln and a head dyke (Nosas Site Survey Nos. 455-458, 460 467 -471), centred on NH 20316 51105. The buildings within the township are characterised by low turf and stone footings, faced in places, of both rectangular and sub-rectangular plan. None stand above 0.3m high and most appear to be relatively small, average 5m x 2m, single compartment structures with rounded ends although a single larger building measuring 13m x 4m (460) at NH 20373 51206 has two compartments has probably been robbed of its stone.

On the S side of the township there are the remains of a possible kiln (468) at - NH 20344 51039 scarped into a S facing slope. There is some evidence of cultivation remains (472) in this vicinity.

The later farmstead and sheepfold is centred on 2030 5110. The remains of the stone built farmstead comprise 3 substantial buildings, all shown as being roofed on the 1st edition OS of 1881. The walls of the two long, parallel ranges (451 & 452) were constructed from dressed and lime mortar bonded stone and measure 18m x 2.5m and 16m x 4m respectively. Both were subdivided internally and there is evidence of a stone lined drain to the rear of the southmost building. Both buildings are now largely ruinous and stand to less than 1.3m high at best. Behind these buildings is a sloping grassy enclosure (453) 17m x 3m.

The remaining building on the site is upstanding and in good order having been converted into a modern holiday dwelling. It is in the form of an ‘L’ shape single-storey block and was originally a mill and threshing barn (449). On the W side of the barn is a horse engine platform (448) with sub-floor drive shaft. The platform is 8.2m in diameter, 0.7m high and grassed over.

To the rear of the farmstead is a stone built rectangular sheepfold (447) measuring 50m x 30m overall with a number of internal compartments. The walls are well constructed and largely intact surmounted by a coping course. A sheep-dip within one of the compartments has been filled in recent times.

A further group of features (450) are located on a knoll close to the river at NH 20270 51029. A series of pits have been excavated into the top of the small natural prominence. Three of the pits are between 5m to 2.5m in diameter and 0.65m to 0.4m deep. Four others are smaller. They are probably storage pits or potato clamps.

There are two other enclosures in this vicinity. One is a rectangular turf walled structure (459) some 19m x 9m on the W side of the track at NH 20370 51160, the other is at the N end of the site (464) at NH 20443 51301 and is oval in plan. It is formed of fairly massive earth and stone banks around the W side, the E edge being defined only by a sharp break of slope.

Information from North of Scotland Archaeology Society