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Lair

Pitcarmick Building(S) (Early Medieval)

Site Name Lair

Classification Pitcarmick Building(S) (Early Medieval)

Canmore ID 29437

Site Number NO16SW 127

NGR NO 13921 63776

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/29437

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Perth And Kinross
  • Parish Kirkmichael (Perth And Kinross)
  • Former Region Tayside
  • Former District Perth And Kinross
  • Former County Perthshire

Activities

Field Visit (1 October 1987)

NO 1392 6377 Situated 32m E of the ring-cairn there are the remains of a building measuring 22.5m E-W by 7.7m in width at the W end and 5m in width at the E end over walls reduced to banks some 1.2m thick and 0.4m high. There appears to have been two opposed entrances at about the mid-point of the structure and the E half of the interior is sunken. Attached to the SW corner of the building there is a small D-shaped enclosure measuring 7.9m E-W by 4.8m over a low stony bank 1m thick and 0.1m high. 4. NO 1392 6378 Situated immediately N of (3) there are the remains of a building measuring 19m E-W by 6m in width over low banks up to 2.5m thick and 0.3m high. The S wall probably underlies the N wall of (3) and the entire length of the interior is sunken. In addition there is a drainage gully on the N side. 5. NO 1395 6378 At the E end of (4) there are the poorly-preserved heather-covered remains of a building measuring 18.8m ENE-WSW by 6.8m over stony banks up to 1.5m thick and 0.1m high. It is possible that the W end overlies the E end of (3).

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 1 October 1987.

RCAHMS 1990

Measured Survey (2 October 1987)

RCAHMS surveyed the Pitcarmick-type buildings, buildings, ring-cairn and hut circles at Lair on 2 October 1987 with self-reducing alidade and plane-table at a scale of 1:500. The plan was redrawn in ink and published at a scale of 1:1000 (RCAHMS 1990, Fig. 290.3).

Field Visit (September 1988)

Situated 30m E of the ring-cairn on the S flank of Torr Lochaidh (NO 16 SW 49) there is a complex of three Pitcarmick-type buildings defined by low, stony banks. The best-preserved is 22.5m in overall length and varies in width from 7.7m at the W end to 5m at the E end, which is slightly scooped; it has what may be opposed entrances, and attached to its SW corner there is a small D-shaped enclosure. It appears to overlie the second building, which lies immediately to the N and measures about 19m by 6m overall. The third building, which measures about 18.8m by 6.8m overall, is set end-on to the first, but the relationship between the two is unclear.

Visited by RCAHMS (PC) September 1988.

RCAHMS 1990

Aerial Photography (1988)

Geophysical Survey (16 December 2011 - 5 November 2012)

NO 1390 6370 A magnetic survey was carried out, 16 December 2011 – 5 November 2012, to provide a broad context for the excavations at Lair being conducted by Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust. The area has been occupied repeatedly, possibly from as early as the Neolithic. An area of c3ha has been covered so far but much of the site is in deep heather and progress is slow. A wide variety of magnetic features have been mapped.

Archive: Perth and Kinross SMR and RCAHMS ( intended)

Funder: Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust

Peter Morris, Blairgowrie Geoscience, 2012

(Source: DES)

Excavation (18 June 2012 - 30 June 2012)

NO 1387 6376 The Glenshee Archaeology Project was initiated with the aim of exploring and researching the prehistoric and early medieval archaeology of Glenshee for the benefit of both residents and visitors to the area.

The 18–30 June 2012 season focused on the excavation of three trenches across a potential medieval Pitcarmick type building and the area immediately outside it. The building was one of two similar SE–NW orientated rectangular structures defined by turf banks previously identified by the RCAHMS. They lay end to end and were next to and aligned with a prehistoric ring cairn. Further visible archaeology including prehistoric roundhouses and another Pitcarmick type building are located next to the excavated area.

The excavation trenches were located at either end of the building located furthest to the SE. The NW trench revealed the remains of collapsed turf banks that would have formed the rounded end of the building. This end of the building, constructed on a slight slope, contained no sign of stone footings for the turf wall although the frequent stone mixed in with the slumped turf material may indicate a former footing, which has been incorporated into the bank material as it decomposed and worked its way downslope.

The SE trench revealed similar collapsed turf walls with no evidence for stone footings, although areas of well preserved turf banking were noted. A probable entrance and a pit, that may represent the location of a supporting timber was recorded inside the SE end of the structure. A cE–W running linear depression containing evidence in situ burning at its base was recorded beneath the E of the structure and appeared to immediately predate the construction of the turf walls of the main structure.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, Drumderg Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, Cairngorms National Park, Aviva and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

David Strachan, Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust

David Sneddon, Northlight Heritage

2012

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