Tullymurdoch

NO25SW 6 centred on 202 534.

Centred at NO 202 534 is a settlement of nine circular stone-walled huts (A - J) within a contemporary field system marked by stone clearance heaps, lynchets, and ruinous walls, which is partly overlaid by walls contemporary with several late rectangular buildings to the E of the huts.

'A' is a "Dalrulzian" hut, measuring 15.0m between the centres of the outer wall, and 8.5m injtrnally, with an ill-defined entrance in the SE. The inner face of contiguous stones is well-preserved. A contemporary wall runs W from the W arc.

'B', 'C', and 'D' are part of an unusual "Dalrulzian" complex which has suffereed mutilation. 'B' is 9.0m internally; 'C', 11.0m internally; and 'D', the best preserved, is 7.0m internally. (See enlargement.)

'E' is a well-preserved "Dalrulzian" type hut 18.5m between outer wall centres and 10.0m internally, with the entrance in the S.

'F' - Only vague traces survive. It appears to have been a "Dalrulzian" hut, 8.0m internally and about 15.0m between outer wall centres. It abuts in the N on to a curving field wall which runs SE to join hut 'G'. 'G' is a "Dalrulzian" hut of similar dimensions as 'F'. No entrance is evident. The centre is partly overlaid by a later rectangular building (5.0m x 3.5m).

'H' is a single-walled hut 10.0m in diameter within a wall 1.4m thick. Occasional outer and inner facing stones are visible. The entrance is not visible but may be obscured by the remains of a probably secondary wall which joins the SE arc.

'J' severely mutilated, is 7.5m between the centres of a wall spread to 2.0m with an ill-defined entrance in the SSW. Traces of an outer wall curving round the N and W arcs suggest that this has been a "Dalrulzian" hut.

Immediately to the SW, and also 20.0m SE of 'J', are two almost identical later rectangular buildings attached to the E arcs of two contemporary sub-circular enclosures measuring about 16.0m in diameter. Within the enclosure to the SW are traces of earlier stonework, which suggests that the enclosure overlies the last fragments of a "Dalrulzian" hut with a possible internal diameter of 9.5m.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (IMT) 19 March 1974

The remains of at least twelve hut-circles are strung out along the crest of a low ridge 950m NNE of Tullymurdoch farmhouse; they lie within a field-system comprising small cairns and field-banks, and are overlain by later rectangular buildings. The structures are described from W to E.

1. NO 2008 5347 (OS 'A') This hut-circle lies at the NW end of a narrow terrace defined by an abrupt, but low break in slope at the rear, and the relatively steep fall to a burn at the front. It is double-walled and measures 8.2m in diameter within a near-complete contiguous row of boulders and slabs. There does not seem to be any substantial bank behind this inner face and the entrance is on the SE. Overall the hut-circle measures 15.8m in diameter and there appears to be no formal facing to the outer bank which measures up to 1.5m in thickness and 0.2m in height.

2. NO 2011 5345 (OS 'B') This hut-circle is the W element of a group of three (2-4) which share an outer (N) wall. The inner wall of the hut-circle is preserved only on the E where an arc of a stony bank extends from the NE side of the entrance (on the S) around the N side to a point on the NW where it peters out. The line of the wall to the W side of the entrance may be discernible as a stony spread which is only felt underfoot. The internal diameter of the hut-circle is about 8.5m. From the W side of the funnel-shaped entrance the wall loops round the NW side where it lies roughly concentric to the inner wall at a distance of about 3m.

3. NO 2013 5344 (OS 'C') This structure is the central element of the group and measures 9.3m in diameter within a bank up to 2m thick. This bank is largely complete but there is a break on the S just W of the entrance which is on the SE and is outwardly splayed.

4. NO 2014 5344 (OS 'D') This structure is the E element of the group and is the best-preserved; it measures 6.3m in diameter within an inner wall (1.4m thick and 0.4m high) which is edged by an inner face of upright slabs. Several possible outer facing-stones are visible and the outwardly-splayed entrance is situated on the SSW. Around the N and E sides, the outer wall is concentric to the inner at a distance of about 1-1.5m between the edges of the banks. On the

NW the outer wall deviates to loop around the back of (3) and it is at this point, where there is a slight kink in the path of the wall, that it is clearly overlain by a later bank which ignores the kink and passes straight from the rear of (4) to pass through the rear of (3). This bank which appears to start just to the E of (1) terminates at the rear of (4).

5. NO 2017 5343 (OS 'F') This poorly-preserved hut-circle measures about 8m in diameter within a low turf-covered bank; at the rear (N) the hut has been levelled to a depth of about 0.3m into the natural slope and the position of the entrance is not visible.

6. NO 2018 5346 (OS 'E') Situated on the crest of the ridge, rather than just below like most of the others, this double-walled hut-circle is in a very good state of preservation. It measures 10m in diameter within a wall 0.8m thick and 0.2m high. There appears to be no formal facing on the scale of (1) or (4), and the outwardly-splayed entrance (17m wide) is on the SE. Overall the hut-circle measures 19.8m in diameter over an outer bank 1.5m thick and up to 0.4m high.

7. NO 2020 5340 (OS 'G') This hut-circle is relatively well-preserved and is of double-walled construction measuring 7m in diameter within an inner wall 1.3m thick and 0.4m high. A few inner facing-stones are visible but the N part of the interior has been overlain by a later subrectangular building. The outer wall measures up to 15.8m in diameter over a stony bank 1.5m thick and 0.4m high. Inner and outer facing-stones are intermittently visible and the partially blocked entrance on the SE is outwardly splayed.

8. NO 2019 5339 (OS 'H') This hut-circle lies immediately to the S of (7) and measures 10m in diameter within a stony bank spread up to 1.8m in thickness by 0.3m in height, and partially defined by a number of inner and outer facing-stones. On the N side the interior has been levelled to a depth of at least 0.5m into the natural slope, and the entrance (on the S) has been blocked by a later bank which rides up over the hut-circle bank from the S. Outside the inner wall on the N side there are faint traces of an outer bank; the remains are substantial enough to suggest that this hut-circle was originally of double-walled construction.

Situated immediately S of the hut-circle and W of the previously mentioned field-bank there are the vague traces of a platform measuring about 6m in diameter, and edged on the W by a low stony bank and scarp.

Situated immediately to the W of the hut-circle, there is an arc of stony bank which, on first glance, may suggest the position of a robbed hut-circle, but is more likely to be the remains of a small enclosure.

9. NO 2022 5339 The tenuous remains of this double-walled hut-circle lie within a later enclosure, and comprise a low stony ring some 8m in overall diameter. A number of small, possible facing-stones survive, but the position of the entrance was not visible. The position of the outer wall on the NW is probably marked by a low line of edging stones which lie within the line of the later enclosure bank.

10. NO 2024 5339 (OS 'J') This double-walled hut-circle measures only 6m in diameter within a stony bank up to 1.5m thick and 0.3m in height. There appears to be no visible facing and the deeply-splayed entrance is on the SSW. From N to S the hut-circle measures 13.8m in diameter over an outer bank which is missing on the E side. This is probably because (10) was the W element of a double-walled pair with little surviving of (11), the E element. Possible contemporary field-banks join onto the N and S sides of the hut-circle respectively.

11. NO 2025 5338 Situated within the rounded NW corner of a later enclosure, there are the remains of a hut-circle which is defined by the presence of a distinct robber trench some 7.7m in overall diameter. This trench almost certainly indicates the position of the inner wall of the E half of a double pair, but unfortunately the outer wall has been completely removed.

12. NO 2025 5335 The remains of this hut-circle lie on a slight terrace below the main crest-line, and measure about 7.5m in diameter within a poorly-preserved bank. The interior has been terraced to a depth of about 0.4m into the natural slope and there is a low apron at the front. The position of the entrance is not visible and the W side of the hut-circle has been mutilated by a later rectangular building (19).

Probably contemporary with the hut-circles is a field-system comprising stony banks and small cairns; a pattern of narrow rectangular 'fields' is suggested to the S of the hut-circles where the ground falls to a burn. Unfortunately that S-facing slope has been improved in recent years and only the tops of the fields survive as fragments. A similar pattern of rectangular enclosures is present to the N and E of (9,10) and (11); close to (1-5) however, the pattern of the banks is much more irregular and a depth of chronology is demonstrated by the bank which overlies the rear of (2-4). A

similar bank which crosses the entrance of (8) also blocks the entrance to one of the later enclosures therefore illustrating the great range in possible dates for the banks.

The hut-circles also, by virtue of their states of preservation, seem to suggest a considerable depth of chronology. Whilst there are no direct stratigraphical relationships between many of the hut-circles, the well-preserved examples such as 1, 4, 6, 7 and 10(11), may be assumed to be later in date than those less well-preserved. In the case of the composite double walled group (2-4), the implication is that 4 carried on being used after 2 and 3 went out of use.

Throughout the site there are sporadically-placed small cairns but about 100m E of the hut-circles, there is a concentrated group of nineteen cairns which measure up to 3m in diameter; the S edge of the group is defined by a low scarp running along the contour.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 3 March 1988.

RCAHMS surveyed the hut circles and field system at Alyth Burn (NO25SW 6) by self-reducing alidade and plane-table on 18 March 1988 at a scale of 1:1250. The resultant plan was redrawn in ink and published at a scale of 1:2500 (RCAHMS 1990, Fig. 103.4).

The remains of seven buildings (13-19) lie within an area of hut-circles, field-banks and small cairns on the crest of a low, NW-SE aligned ridge 950m NNE of Tullymurdoch farmhouse.

13. NO 2002 5347 Situated at the W end of the field-system there are the remains of a small subrectangular building which measures 6.7m NW-SE by 5.5m over turf-covered wall-footings up to 1.6m thick and 0.2m high; a probable entrance gap is located in the SE corner.

14. NO 2006 5348 Situated immediately W of the westernmost hut-circle there are the footings of a rectangular building measuring 11.6m E-W by 4.2m over low wall-footings about 0.6m thick and 0.1m high. No entrance is apparent and the structure appears to be round-ended.

15. NO 2010 5347 This structure lies just to the E of the westernmost hut-circle and is tucked in at the back of a terrace at the break of slope. It measures approximately 10m E-W by 5.5m over low rubble wall-footings; there is a possible entrance gap at the E end of the S wall. Situated within the W end of the structure there is a setting of four small upright boulders. They are set in a roughly square setting with a distance of 0.85m between the faces of the stones on the SW, NW and NE; the SE stone appears to have slumped out of position. The tallest of the stones is 0.45m high and their purpose and relationship to the rectangular structure are not known.

16. NO 2020 5341 This rectangular structure overlies the N part of the centre of a double-walled hut-circle (7). The N and W walls of the structure have incorporated the fabric of the hut-circle wall, and the NW corner is thus rounded. It measures 5.4m NW-SE by 3.7m over wall-footings up to 0.7m thick and 0.4m high; the position of an entrance was not apparent.

17. NO 2023 5338 A small rectangular building measuring 13.3m NW-SE by 5.1m over rubble wall-footings measuring up to 0.9m thick and 0.3m high, lies on the E side of an enclosure. The building has a centrally-placed entrance on the S side and immediately to the S of the building, and parallel to it, there are the remains of a second structure defined by a complete robber trench measuring about 10m NW-SE by 3.5m The enclosure measures 14m NW-SE by 13.5m within a turf-covered boulder wall; there is an entrance on the S side and the enclosure has been built on top of a double-walled hut-circle (9).

18. NO 2026 5337 This rectangular building measures 9.5m NW-SE by 5.5m over turf-covered wall-footings which measure up to 0.8m in thickness and 0.5m in height. An outer face and a partial inner face of boulders are evident and the entrance is on the S side. Situated to the E of the building and possibly underlying the W end of it, there is an enclosure which measures 12.2m NW-SE by 12m within a turf-covered stony bank. There is an entrance on the S side and in the NW corner there are the remains of a probable hut-circle (11).

19. NO 2024 5334 This structure overlies the W side of a hut-circle (12) and measures 11.5m NNE-SSW by 6.7m over a low turf-covered bank; the position of the entrance is not apparent.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 3 March 1988.

RCAHMS 1990

NO 2010 5320 Experimental magnetic (4.25ha) and resistivity (0.25ha) surveys were carried out over two hut circle groups on either side of the Alyth Burn from 10–31 March 2007. The magnetic anomalies over the hut circles appear to be mostly due to magnetic boulders derived from the local glacial till and used in the construction of the walls. Major, double-walled hut circles and ancient field boundaries are well defined by the magnetics, smaller, single walled features are not so obvious and later rectangular structures and a Pitcarmick house of mainly turf construction were not detected. A number of the hut circles have very obvious

central anomalies which might be due to hearthstones. The pattern of boulder related anomalies provides evidence for the presence of a few demolished circular structures.

Archive to be deposited with RCAHMS.

Funder: Blairgowrie Geoscience.

NO 2010 5320 Magnetometry survey.

Archive to be deposited with RCAHMS.

Funder: Blairgowrie Geoscience.

NO 2010 5320 Resistivity survey.

Archive to be deposited with RCAHMS.

Funder: Blairgowrie Geoscience.