Dail A' Bhaite

NC86SW 14 8331 6460.

(NC 8333 6460) Enclosure (NR)

OS 6" map (1962)

(NC 8331 6460) Undescribed feature

OS 25" map (1974)

Opposite the most southerly of the Strathy crofts across the valley and about 1/4 mile back from the river is a hut circle of three compartments.

RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909

Surveyed at 1:10560.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 27 April 1960

The triple compartmented hut is in a poor state of preservation. It is not likely to be a hut circle but its condition does suggest that it is contemporary with a hut circle to the N (NC86SW 2).

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (AA) 9 November 1972

This is undoubtedly a nucleated homestead comprising a slightly oblong enclosure, 10.5m ENE-WSW by 3.5m internally, containing two compartments, the interior of the smaller W compartment being marginally higher. An entrance lined with large stones halfway along the S wall passes into a conjoined, subsidiary enclosure, 4.5m E-W by 3.0m internally, having an entrance at the SE corner.

The entrance first mentioned may turn sharply E to open directly on the outside, and also there may be an entrance between the main compartments in the W end of the common wall. The wall of the main enclosure indicates a width of about 1.5m in the NE quarter, where an inner facing of boulder slab is evident, broadening substantially in the S side of the entrance. A large boulder is incorporated in the wall at the extreme NW corner but generally much of this region of the homestead is reduced to tenuous turf-covered footings. The only evidence of cultivation in the area is in association with a hut circle (NC86SW 2) to the N.

Similar nucleated dwellings occur near Armadale (NC76SE 8) and in Strath Halladale (NC94NW 1), in both cases within an associated field system. All examples exhibit a form of boulder slab construction typical of hut circles.

See 1:625 plan.

Resurveyed at 1:10,000.

Revised at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (JM) 6 July 1977