Rienlien

Plane Table Survey

Rienlien lies on a gentle SW facing slope above the Allt an Ruighe burn at an altitude of 320-330m aod. The site is open to the W but sheltered to the E by the land rising to the summit of Criag Vallich at 609m, some 2 kilometers away. The name is given as Rienlien on the estate map of 1809 (George Brown Survey, 1807-09, Invercauld Papers) According to Watson & Allan (Watson A & Allan E, The Place Names of Upper Deeside, 1984, Aberdeen University Press) the name derives from Ruighe an Lin meaning the cattle run of the flax, but another possible derivation is from the Gaelic Ruighe an Loin, meaning the cattle run of the wet meadow, which is an apt description.

The surrounding land is currently open birch woodland and hill grassland. Building A is sited in a small spruce plantation that was established shortly before 1946. The land to the W of the head dyke still shows prominent rig and fur cultivation running with the slope.

The small township comprises 5 buildings, two of which are incorporated into the head dyke that links to Tomanbuachlin, some 450m to the S and Blacharange, some 300m to the N.

Buildings A, B, C and E are shown as occupied on the estate map of 1807-1809 (George Brown Survey, 1807-09, Invercauld Papers) and none are shown as occupied on the OS map of 1865

Building A and enclosure

This building is of dry stone construction, roughly faced on the outside, with rubble infill . The wall stands 6 courses high at the NW end. This wall is vertical on the outside face, all the other walls show obvious batter. The corners are slightly rounded. It is aligned NW/SE, across the slope, on the long axis. The internal dimensions are approximately 7.5x3.5m and there is an entrance on the SW side. An internal partition wall creates a small room, or perhaps storage space, in the SW corner of the building which measures approximately 2.0x1.5m.

An outshot has been built on the SE side of the building. This is of dry stone construction, roughly faced on the outside, with rubble infill. The walls stand 3 courses high at best and the corners are near square. The internal dimensions are 9.8x3.8m and there is no obvious entrance.

A sub-rectangular enclosure lies to the SW of the building This is bounded on three sides by a drystone dyke. There is not obvious sign of a wall which would have formed the fourth side, or that the enclosure wall ever abutted onto the building. The internal dimensions of the enclosure are approximately 10.5x6.8m. In the wood downhill from the building and enclosure are several large heaps of field gatherings.

Building B

A sub-divided building integrated into the head dyke, which abuts at the southeast corner and the northwest. There is a prominent check in the dyke 3m south of the southernmost structure.

The dyke stands 1m high but there is little remaining of the other walls of the structures. The northern section has internal dimensions of 4.8x2.8m and appears to have a raised floor level. The southern section measures 10.4x2.8m, and has an entry in the western side.

Building C

This is built into the head dyke, which connects to its south east and north east corners. It is constructed of large field stones, with some blocking of the faces and with rubble infill. Its internal measurements are 14.4x3.4m. There is no obvious entrance. There is an enclosure attached to the west side of the structure, but the enclosure walls are little more than stones on a grassy bank.

Structure D

A small L-shaped structure evidenced by a few stones on grassy banks

Building E - Kiln Barn

This building is aligned roughly SW/NE and is scarped into a significant natural slope of the hill. The kiln bowl is at the uphill (NE) 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 kiln bowl is 1.8m deep and measures 1.9m in diameter at the top. The downhill side of the bowl has been largely robbed . The barn is small and measures 2.0m x 1.6m internally. There is no obvious entrance.

Some 3m downhill from the barn is a second building, its SE wall aligned with that of the barn. Its internal measurements are approximately 5.0x4.7m. All that remains visible of 3 of the walls are turf covered footings with the odd projecting stone. The SW wall stands only one course high. There is no obvious entrance.

Spittal of Glen Muick SRP Project