Loch Vatachan

NC01SW 4 0221 1087.

At NC 0236 1099 is a circular stone-walled enclosure, almost certainly a hut circle. It measures c. 13.5m in diameter between the centres of a wall, obscured by peat in the NW, tumbled down a slope in the SW, and spread to 2.0m elsewhere. The entrance is in the SE on the uphill side. To the S and W are a few stone clearance heaps and ruinous walls, probably from contemporary cultivation. 180m to the SW at NC 0221 1088 is a platform c. 7.0m in diameter strewn with stones, which could be another severely mutilated hut.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (A A) 17 July 1974.

One hut-circle, an enclosure, a sheepfold, a field-system and some small cairns are situated to the E of the public road to Achiltibuie.

Situated at the lower end of the site and a short distance from the road, there is a hut-circle, which measures 5.7m in diameter within a stony bank spread to 1.1m in thickness and standing up to 0.3m high. A stone-built pen has been built on the hut-circle making (ACHIL94 556, NC 0221 1087).

The enclosure, which may be a collapsed sheepfold, is situated at the front of a terrace c.190m NE of the hut-circle (NC 0236 1097). The enclosure occupies a low rise, over which the enclosure is built, giving the impression of a raised interior platform. It measures 11.5m in diameter within a faced-rubble wall 1.2m thick and up to 0.4m high with an entrance on the SSE. The SW arc is built-up and the bank which stands c.0.2m high for most of its arc, rises to 0.4m on either side of the entrance.

The field-system extends NE from the hut-circle for about 100m by about 65m transversely, forming one main enclosure defined by low stony banks, with a subsiduary enclosure on its N side, with fragmentary traces of further banks to the E. Small cairns are scattered across the field-system, but more are located to the E of the field and the present sheepfold.

(ACHIL94 555-6)

Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 10 August 1994