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Achadh An Eas

Head Dyke (Post Medieval), Township (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Achadh An Eas

Classification Head Dyke (Post Medieval), Township (Period Unassigned)

Canmore ID 5582

Site Number NC63NE 5

NGR NC 667 371

NGR Description centred on NC 667 371

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/5582

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Farr
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Sutherland
  • Former County Sutherland

Archaeology Notes

NC63NE 5 centred on 667 371.

(NC 667 371) Achadh an Eas (NAT)

OS 6"map, (1963)

The extensive remains of Achadh an Eas, a depopulated settlement, which had a Presbyt'ian mission church or meeting-house with a graveyard (NC 6668 3755). A reference to Auchness appears in 1656 when its 'town' - probably meaning 'farm' - and lands are mentioned (OPS 1855) In 1726 it is referred to as a farm and no meeting-house is mentioned, that for Upper Strathnaver being at Ceann-na-coille (NC64SE 21) (OPS 1855). In 1747 it is shown as four buildings with arable (Roy 1747-55), but had obviously become much more extensive by the time it was cleared in 1814-19 (Prebble 1963). The graveyard was disused and the meeting-house in ruins by 1873 (ONB 1873).

W Roy 1747-55; Orig Paroch Scot 1855; Name Book 1873; W Macfarlane 1906-8; J Prebble 1873.

There are forty or more building foundations, some with structural divisions, ranging in size from 4.0 by 3.0m to 30.0 by 4.0m and numerous enclosures. Two kilns were identified at NC 6693 3740 and NC 6707 3723. Run-rig cultivation is present. The graveyard has been renovated and was in use until recently.

Visited by OS (J M) 13 April 1977.

A township comprising ten roofed and twenty-two unroofed buildings, one of which is marked as a ruined meeting house, five scattered enclosures, a field-system and a head-dyke, is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1878, sheet liv). Two roofed and fifty unroofed buildings, twenty-four scattered enclosures, a field-system and a head-dyke are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10,000 map (1987).

Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 9 October 1995

Activities

Field Visit (18 July 2007 - 23 July 2007)

NC 6972 4494; NC 6976 4528; NC 6680 3713; NC 6343 3845

Rapid walkover surveys were carried out between 18-23 July 2007 at three cleared townships in the upper reaches of the valleys of Strathnaver: Langdale, Grumbeg and Achadh an Eas. The walkover surveys involved recording visible surface remains by means of sketches, written descriptions and photographs of selected features, and comparing them to features recorded on the 1st edition OS maps of the area. These were designed to inform an initial assessment of the township sites’ potential for early features, chronological complexity and phasing. Topographic survey of the earthwork known as the Tulloch, near Langdale was also carried out. This produced a contour model of the banked and ditched enclosure, which may be part of the ongoing Strathnaver Province Archaeology Project.

Archive to be deposited with RCAHMS. Report to be deposited with Highland SMR, RCAHMS and Historic Scotland.

Funder Historic Scotland

O Lelong 2007

References

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