Glen Muick

Loinmore stands in an exposed location on a gently sloping ridge at a altitude of 360m aod. The surrounding land is rough hill grassland which slopes away to the SW where an area of some 16ha is enclosed by an irregularly shaped head dyke. The enclosed area shows ample evidence of rig and furrow cultivation. The remains of 12 buildings are arranged along a 150m stretch of the head dyke and a further single building is located some 90m to the SW inside the enclosure.

Buildings A, B, C, D, E, G and J are marked as occupied on the estate map of 1807-09 (George Brown Survey, 1807-09, Invercauld Papers) but only Building A is recorded as being occupied on the 1st edition OS map of 1865. Sheila Sedgwick, in her book “The Legion of the Lost” (Wm Culross & Son Ltd, 1999) states that after the township was abandoned the lease of the land was amalgamated with that of the farm of Crofts. The farmer of Crofts erected a hut among the ruins. This was a dwelling for a cattleherd during the summer.

According to Watson & Allan (Watson A & Allan E, The Place Names of Upper Deeside, 1984, Aberdeen University Press) the name derives from Loinn Mhor meaning the big enclosure.

Building A

This is constructed of dressed stone with a rubble core; the walls stand up to 2m tall, and have a slight batter. It is built over the foundations of Building B. There is a clear entrance in the east wall; a well-dressed lintel lying nearby which, as it is too short for the doorway, suggests that there was also a window. It has internal dimensions of 6.3 x 3.9m. An outshot to the N appears to be three sided.

Building B

Originally an exceptionally long building of some 23 x 2.8m, part has been levelled to form a base for Building A. What remains is built of rough field-stone with a partition wall towards the S end, which is a later addition, forming a narrow compartment only 1.2m wide. The main compartment has an internal width of 2.8m.

The large enclosure to the East is shown as a yard on the Survey of the Lands of Invercauld by George Brown, 1807.

Building C

This building is aligned roughly NW/SE and is scarped into a significant natural slope of the hill. The kiln bowl is at the uphill (NW) end and the barn down-slope. The stonework surrounding the bowl is built into the bank and what remains of the barn walls are covered in turf so the type of construction is not clear. The downhill side of the bowl has been largely robbed . The barn is small and measures 1.8 x 1.6m internally. There is no obvious entrance. The SE, downhill, wall appears to have been extended to form a retaining wall above Building A.

Building D

Low grass covered mounds, with 0.5m high walls in one corner, form the remains of this building which is incorporated into the wall of a sub-rectangular enclosure. The internal dimensions are 6.4 x 3.2m. The attached enclosure walls made of roughly dressed field-stone, measuring 16 x 12m at its widest point, have been maintained after the building went out of use. A bank is evident rising above and dropping below the enclosure.

Building E

This is constructed from rough field boulders and is incorporated into the wall of a sub-rectangular enclosure, the wall being of almost double thickness where the two abut. Its internal dimensions are 4.6x2.5m and the walls stand 4 courses high at most. There is an entrance in the N wall. The enclosure, on the NW side of the building, measures 27x24m at its widest.

Building F

This is constructed of field boulders, roughly faced, and abuts onto the head dyke at its SW end. The walls stand 2 courses high at best. It has squared corners and the internal measurements are 9.2x3.8m. The floor level at the SW end is approximately 0.6m below the surrounding ground level. There is an entrance in the SE wall. A small enclosure of 9.5 x 6.2m lies on the S side of the head dyke.

Building G

This is constructed of field boulders, roughly faced, and is incorporated into the head dyke at its SW end. The walls stand 6 courses high at best. It has slightly rounded corners and the internal measurements are 7.6 x 3.2m. There is an entrance in the NE wall.

Building H

This is constructed of large dressed stones and the walls stand 2 courses high at best. It appears to have been extensively robbed, perhaps for the construction of Building A which has similar stonework. The corners are square. A partition wall has been inserted creating two rooms. The internal measurements of the eastern partition are 5.6x3.6m and it has opposing entrances in the N and S walls. The western partition measures 10.2x3.6m and has an entrance in the N wall.

Building I

Only the grass covered footings remain under tumbled stone and it is difficult to determine the exact shape and dimensions of this building.

Building J

This is built from rough field stone with a rubble core and has walls which stand up to 600mm high. It has rounded outer corners and slightly rounded inner corners. There is a central partition which was built at the same time as the outer walls. The internal measurements are 3.2 x 2.5m for the southern partition and 3.0 x 2.5 for the northern. There are entrances in the W walls of both partitions.

The walls of a triangular enclosure to the south are built of rough field stones; the enclosure is integrated with the head dyke. Cultivation has caused the soil to slump to the S.

Building K

This is built of rough field stones with a rubble core with rounded outer corners. The south end wall appears to have a curved inner face. There is a large entrance in the NW wall and a smaller on in the SE wall. Its internal dimensions are 11.0x2.7m. The building’s S wall forms part of the head dyke.

Building L

This is located at OS Grid Ref NO 36247 92334, measured with a hand held GPS. It is aligned NE/SW on its long axis and has walls of roughly dressed field stone with rubble core standing up to 600mm high. The internal dimensions are 7.5x2.3m. There is an entrance in W wall. The internal floor level is 500mm below the ground to the E.