Arran, Machrie Farm
Cairnfield (Prehistoric), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric), Plough Marks (Prehistoric)
Site Name Arran, Machrie Farm
Classification Cairnfield (Prehistoric), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric), Plough Marks (Prehistoric)
Canmore ID 39761
Site Number NR93SW 61
NGR NR 90783 33848
NGR Description NR 90783 33848 and NR 90811 33808
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/39761
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Kilmory
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Buteshire
Field Visit (10 October 1977)
NR93SW 61 9078 3385 and 9081 3381.
'A': NR 90783385. 'B': NR 90813381.
Two hut circles situated on the crest of an E-facing slope at 250ft OD above a valley burn, were found during field investigation.
'A' comprises a stony bank capped by peat, up to 3.0m wide and 0.6m highenclosing a slightly dished but featureless interior 7.0m NW-SE. There is a 1.5m wide entrance in the SE side, guarded at a distance of 2.0m by a curving peat bank 7.0m long.
'B' comprises a peat and stone bank, obliterated on the N and W sides, up to 3.0m wide and 0.8m high, enclosing a slightly dished interior 8.0m in overall diameter.
In an area of approximately 4.5ha surrounding the hut circles, particularly to the S, are numerous scattered clearance heaps averaging 3-4m in sub-circular diameter and 0.5m high. No coherent field system could be established.
Surveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (JRL) 10 October 1977.
Excavation (1997)
NR 908 338 Excavation of a small area in the vicinity of well-preserved hut circles and clearance cairns was undertaken in advance of rebuilding of a power line from Carradale to Brodick. A basal peat sample was radiocarbon-dated to the mid-1st millennium AD; ard marks were discovered at the base of the mineral soil which underlay the peat.
Sponsor: Scottish Hydro-Electric plc.
GUARD 1997
Airborne Laser Scanning Interpretation (11 July 2018)
The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed.
HES Survey and Recording 11 July 2018
Barber 1997
Field Visit (2018)
A desk-based assessment and walkover survey were undertaken in 2018 over five parcels of land on the Dougarie Estate. Unfortunately, the bracken and vegetation cover was such that locating previously recorded sites proved, in some cases, to be impossible and consequently there was little likelihood of finding and identifying as yet unrecorded sites. However, despite the challenging conditions a number of sites were recorded.
Area 1
NR 88885 38475 (S1) Shieling (NR83NE 11)
NR 88900 37920 (S2) Hut circle (NR83NE 10)
Area 2
NR 89139 36855 (S1) Structure (NR83NE 20)
NR 88760 36950 (S2) Enclosure (NR83NE 7)
NR 88835 36799 (S3) Bank
NR 89120 37180 (S4) Enclosure (NR83NE 20)
Area 3
NR 90785 33845 (S1) Hut circle (NR93SW 61)
Area 4
NR 90810 33805 (S1) Hut circle (NR83SW 61)
NR 91102 33652 (S2) Hut circle (NR93SW 123)
NR 90767 33774 (S3) Bank
NR 90018 34094 (S4) Bank (NR93SW 79)
NR 90300 34100 (S5) Bank sluice (NR93SW 118)
NR 90150 34080 (S6) Bank (NR83SE 59)
NR 90085 34005 (S7) Clearance cairn (NR93SW 64)
NR 90000 34000 (S8) Field banks (NR93SW 79)
NR 91374 33369 (S9) Field enclosure, cultivation remains
NR 91527 33157 (S10) Field enclosure, cultivation remains
NR 91030 33490 (S11) Hut circle (NR93SW 28)
NR 91625 33500 (S12) Hut circle (NR93SW 29)
NR 92150 33600 (S13) Linear cairn
NR 92189 33627 (S14) Shieling huts (NR93SW 129)
NR 92153 33720 (S15) Hut circle (NR93SW 128)
Area 5
NR 88600 47002 (S1) Clearance cairn
NR 88689 47070 (S2) Sheepfold
Funder: RDS Forestry Ltd
Clare Ellis – Argyll Archaeology
(Source: DES Volume 19)
