Kintradwell Burn

NC90NW 31 centred 916 082

Centred at NC 916 082: Footings of two rectangular buildings were recorded at the W edge of this area, one of which had already been plotted by the OS.

That to the W was largely grass-covered and measured c.18m long by c.5.8m wide across its walls, which were spread to c.1m and stood less than 0.3m high. There was no obvious entrance, but there was an internal division at its E end creating an area c.4m square within the walls.

That immediately to the E was buried under a large clump of gorse. It measures c.11.5m long by 5m wide across its walls, which were spread to c.0.8m and stood c.0.3m high. No entrance could be seen because of the gorse, but there was an internal division at its E end creating an area c.2.5m by 3.2m within the walls.

This latter structure abutted a low enclosure wall, which defined an area to the S and E of these structures. The wall was partly grass-covered, spread to c.1.5m wide and stood c.0.3m high.

Within the E half of the enclosure was another rectangular structure. Its low stone walls, spread to c.0.75m and c.0.2m high, defined an area c.11m long and c.5.5m wide. The W side of the structure survived to c.0.4m in height and was abutted by a grass-covered corn-drying kiln. Its circular kiln was c.1m in diameter, internally, with a straight flue c.3m long and 0.6m wide. The remains of a low irregular wall ran W-wards from this structure.

Across the hill slope above the farmstead are a few small cairns, generally about 3m in diameter and 0.3m in height.

J Harden 1991; NMRS MS/626/6.

A pre-afforestation field survey at Kintradwell established the N extent of the small cairns associated with a farmstead situated immediately above the deeply incised Kintradwell burn. The small cairns have a much more restricted distribution than previously recorded on the NMRS record map (1964) which was annotated with an area measuring at least 400m from NE to SW by up to 300m above the enclosed ground. The small cairns were found to extend no more than 40m to the N of the enclosed ground.

S Carter and J Rideout (Headland Archaeology) 3 March 1999; NMRS MS 899/132, no.1; S Carter 1999