Mains Of Cowgask

NN91NE 89 9702 1944

The remains of the farmstead of Mains of Cowgask straddle the crest of a narrow rocky ridge 500m ENE of Roundlaw Cottages (NN91NE 62.01). A building set on the N side of the ridge measures 10.4m from ESE to WNW by 4.4m transversely within grass-grown stone walls 0.7m thick but now reduced to no more than 0.4m high. A second building, which occupies a platform at a lower level 14m to the SE, measures 7.5m from E-W by at least 3.5m transversely within a wall reduced to a bank 1.0m thick and up to 0.5m high. At its W end, the interior of the building has been cut into the slope to a depth of 0.5m. The N and W walls of a probable walled enclosure are also cut into the slope on the S side of this building; it measures at least 11m from E to W by 7.5m internally. A small pen, some 4.0m from NNW to SSE by 2.2m internally, lies immediately to the W of the building.

The layout of the various elements of the farmstead correspond to their depiction on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Perthshire 1866, sheet cviii). This shows the first building as roofed and the second as unroofed. In addition an enclosure with an unroofed structure built into its NE corner is also depicted. The farmstead had been abandoned by 1901 and the buildings were omitted from the 2nd edition of the map (Perthshire, sheet cviii, 1901).

Visited by RCAHMS (IF), 7 November 1995

and information from RCAHMS (SAH) 23 July 2001