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Loch Of Yarrows
Cairn (Period Unassigned)(Possible), Enclosure (Period Unassigned), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric)
Site Name Loch Of Yarrows
Classification Cairn (Period Unassigned)(Possible), Enclosure (Period Unassigned), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric)
Canmore ID 9052
Site Number ND34SW 45
NGR ND 30941 42762
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/9052
- Council Highland
- Parish Wick
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Caithness
- Former County Caithness
ND34SW 45 30941 42762
(ND 3103 4276) A well-defined hut circle, oval in plan, measuring internally about 23 by 26ft, and with the entrance, about 2 1/2ft wide, in the E. The bank or wall is of stones and peat with a maximum height of 2 to 3ft, and is exposed in only two or three places, being generally heather-covered.
Adjoining the hut circle on the SW is a semi-circular or horse-shoe shaped enclosure measuring about 17ft across the opening and 13ft in depth.
About 40ft to the W are the remains of a small mound or cairn, about 20ft in diameter, which has been excavated.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910.
An oval, stone-walled hut measuring 10.0m E-W by 9.0m transversely between the centres of a well-defined, peat-covered wall, spread to about 2.5m all round. Traces of the inner face, dry-built of horizontally-laid slabs, are visible in the N arc. The simple entrance is in the E.
Immediately outside the SW arc is another ill-defined hut measuring about 8.0m in diameter between the centres of a wall obscured by peat. The E arc is totally obscured.
The mound to the W of the hut, measuring about 7.5m in diameter and 0.4m high, is grown over with peat and heather but its stony content can be felt on probing. There is a hollow in the top. Possibly a cairn.
About 40.0m to the N of the hut, surmounting a slight rise are traces of what may be another hut about 10.0m in diameter. It is defined by a slight hummocky bank of indeterminate width with stone showing here and there and one large tilted slab protruding through the S arc. The interior is uneven, probably due to peat build-up.
Surveyed at 1:10,000.
OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)
(Centred ND 309 428) Settlement (NR) (See also ND34SW 44 and ND34SW 51 )
OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)
Surveyed at 1:1000.
K Sabine 1980.
Scheduled with hut-circles ND34SW 44 and ND34SW 51.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 29 October 1999.
Three hut-circles and a cairn are situated at the foot of a N-facing slope about 520m SSE of South Yarrows farmsteading (ND34SW 474). The northernmost hut-circle (YARROWS04 219) is situated on a heather-grown knoll within an area of old peat workings. It measures about 6m in diameter within a stony bank up to 1.8m in thickness and 0.4m in height. There is a possible entrance on the E and a large slab, possibly an inner facing-stone, is visible on the S. The second hut-circle (YARROWS04 217) is situated 34m SSE of the first. It measures 8.6m from NE to SW by 7.6m transversely within a stony bank 2.4m in thickness and up to 0.7m in height. The entrance is on the ENE and a pile of rubble in the interior may be the remains of a later pen. The third hut-circle (YARROWS04 216), lies immediately SW of the second, and apparently abuts it, but the junction of the two banks was obscured by dense vegetation on the date of visit. This hut-circle measures 6.7m in diameter within a stony bank 2m in thickness and up to 0.4m in height, and there is an entrance on the E.
The cairn (YARROWS04 218) lies 8m W of the third hut-circle, and is situated on the leading edge of a heather-grown terrace overlooking a wet area to the NW. The cairn, which is disturbed at its centre, measures 6.6m from ENE to WSW by 5.3m transversely and up to 0.6m in height.
(YARROWS04 216-219)
Visited by RCAHMS (AGCH) 29 June 2004
Ground Penetrating Radar (January 2007)
In January 2007, CFA Archaeology Ltd carried out a programme of palaeoenvionmental survey on behalf of the Scottish Wetlands Archaeology Programme (SWAP) within the locality of Loch of Yarrows, Caithness. This project is one of several research studies carried out by SWAP during 2006 as part of a wider framework to promote Scottish Wetland Archaeology (SWAP 2007 forthcoming) . The survey was carried with the help of volunteer members of the Caithness Archaeological Trust (CAT) and the Loch of Yarrows Archaeological Trust (YAT).
The project was designed to test the viability of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) over variable depths of blanket or mire peat formations. Three study areas were selected and included a sequence of deep, intermediate and shallow peat. The project was carried out following above average winter rainfalls that resulted in high saturation of the blanket peat which covers much of the area surrounding the study areas. A series of grids were peat probed and cored providing a biostratigraphic and basal profile of each survey grid. Each grid was subjected to GPR survey.
The three sites selected for survey were as follows:
Oliclate Farm to the north of Loch of Yarrows (grids A and B)
South of Loch of Yarrows (Yarrows 1 and 2)
Swartigill Burn, to the north of Loch of Yarrows
The results confirm that at Oliclate Farm, there is good correlation with the basal profile and biostratigraphic profiles obtained fom coring, although slight attenuation (loss of the radar signal) did occur owing to the very saturated nature of the peat. There is good correlation within the biostratigraphic profile and those obtained to the east by Tipping et al (2005). At South Yarrows 1, the shallow peat area, again good correlation was recorded between the environmental record and GPR results. At South Yarrows 2, an infilled palaeochannel provided the best correlation between the environmental record and the GPR results. At Swartigill Burn, the site of possible building remains resting on alluvial clay, the radar returns were confused by the distribution of building stone, possibly demolition material that was spread across the site. Although no wall alignments could be defined from within the radar patterns, the extent of the site within the survey grid itself is visible.
The results of this pilot study confirm that severely saturated peat does not adversely effect the radar returns gained from the apparatus used and both peat stratigraphy and basal morphology can be measured. GPR survey can provide a cost effective, non-destructive method for site demarcation of archaeological sites and monuments buried below deep peat.
Project (1 August 2014 - 2 August 2014)
ND 32110 45730 A fluxgate gradiometer survey, an earth resistance survey and a ground penetrating radar survey were carried out, 1–2 August 2014, on land next to the Burn of Swartigill. The survey aimed to characterise the extent and the nature of a known Iron Age site being eroded by the burn. The gradiometer survey has highlighted a 25 x 30m area, presenting strong magnetic variation likely to be associated with anthropogenic activity, and potentially indicative of the presence of a settlement. The earth resistance survey results suggested, within this area of enhancement, the presence of a potential sub-rectangular structure measuring 10 x 16m. The ground penetrating radar helped clarify the nature of some anomalies visible in the gradiometer and earth resistance survey. It is possible that the results of this geophysical survey
may have revealed a late Iron Age settlement, with a ‘wag’ or ‘figure-eight’ building.
Archive: ORCA
Funder: Yarrows Heritage Trust
Nick Card, Rosalind Aitken and Thomas Desalle – ORCA
(Source: DES)
Ground Penetrating Radar (1 August 2014 - 2 August 2014)
ND 32110 45730 Ground penetrating radar survey.
Archive: ORCA
Funder: Yarrows Heritage Trust
Nick Card, Rosalind Aitken and Thomas Desalle – ORCA
(Source: DES)
Resistivity (1 August 2014 - 2 August 2014)
ND 32110 45730 Resistivity survey.
Archive: ORCA
Funder: Yarrows Heritage Trust
Nick Card, Rosalind Aitken and Thomas Desalle – ORCA
(Source: DES)
Magnetometry (1 August 2014 - 2 August 2014)
ND 32110 45730 Magnetometry survey.
Archive: ORCA
Funder: Yarrows Heritage Trust
Nick Card, Rosalind Aitken and Thomas Desalle – ORCA
(Source: DES)
