Loch Ashie

RCAHMS surveyed the burnt mounds at Loch Ashie with self-reducing alidade and plane-table on 19 November 1992 at a scale 1:250. The resultant plan was redrawn in ink on 26 November 1992.

A complex of closely-grouped large burnt mounds is situated at the NE end of a ridge rising out of boggy ground some 150m SE of Loch Ashie. A small watercourse runs past the NE end of the ridge, bounding the burnt mound complex on the E and N. The mounds are located on the edges of firm, well-drained ground, opening out on boggier ground. Sods were lifted off all the mounds revealing a content of reddened, cracked stone and charcoal in a matrix of black soil.

Visually, the most impressive mound (USN93 109) lies at the SW of the complex and backs on to the ridge; it is U-shaped on plan and measures 10m from WNW to ESE by 9.5m transversely, opening out on the NNE. The arms of the mound stand up to 1.5m in height, creating a well-defined central hollow.

A second mound lies on a low natural mound some 10m to the NNE across a shallow gully within which there is a low mound of burnt-mound material. This mound (USN93 108) is kidney-shaped on plan, opening out on the S, approximately opposite the previous mound, and measures 13.5m from E to W by 10m transversely and 1.2m in height.

The E side of the mound overlies a further kidney-shaped mound, which may have opened out towards the burn on the E. This earlier mound measures about 10m from NNE to SSW by 5m transversely. There is a circular hollow, some 2m across and 0.3m in depth, at the SE corner of this mound, which may have contained a trough.

The final element of the complex lies about 15m to the SE of the two mounds described above and backs on to a small natural knoll, slightly separate from the main ridge. This C-shaped mound (USN93 110) measures 12.5m from NNW to SSE by 7m transversely and 1.3m in height, opening out towards the burn on the ENE.

(USN93 108-10)

Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 6 October 1992.