Kiltyrie

NN63NW 41 62591 37008.

A farmstead, comprising three unroofed buildings and one enclosure is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Perthshire 1867, sheet lxix). Two unroofed buildings and one enclosure are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1981).

Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 23 February 1998.

This farmstead, situated on a terrace 500m NW of Kiltyrie farmhouse, comprises three buildings and an enclosure. The largest building (BL00 8) measures 15.8m from NE to SW by 4.1m transversely within rubble walls up to 0.4m in height. There is an entrance in the centre of the SE side, in front of which a hollow may indicate the site of a midden, and an outshot extends 3.7m from the NE end. The second building (BL00 9) lies to the S of the first and at right angles to it. It measures 11.9m by 4.1m within rubble walls up to 1.1m in height. It has an entrance on the NE, the interior is divided into two compartments, and there is a later stone-built pen in the NW end. The E corner of this building overlies the W corner of the third building (BL00 10), which measures 6.8m from NW to SE by 2.8m transversely within walls up to 0.3m in height, and has an entrance on the NE. The inner face of the SW side of this building is unusual in being formed of edge-set slabs. The last two buildings together form the NE side of the enclosure, which is rectangular on plan and measures 34m from NW to SE by 32m transversely.

The 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Perthshire 1867, sheet lxix) depicts as unroofed all three buildings described above, together with the enclosure. The 2nd edition of the map (Perthshire 1900, sheet lxix NW) shows only the enclosure.

(BL00 8-10, 2569)

Visited by RCAHMS (AGCH, SDB) 21 March 2000

A second season of excavation and survey were undertaken at Kiltyrie and Meall Greigh as part of the Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project (DES 2002, 93-4).

NN 6259 3698 Kiltyrie. Excavation at the deserted township revealed a well-preserved longhouse, which had been abandoned by 1864, having had only one phase of construction and occupation. The longhouse included a byre end with a substantial drain, and had paved flooring and a central hearth. Large assemblages of iron, ceramic and glass artefacts were recovered, and coins found in the house should help provide dates for its occupation and construction. A smaller outbuilding and barn were also excavated; the barn's opposing doors suggest it was used to winnow grain.

Report to be lodged with Perth and Kinross SMR and the NMRS.

Sponsors: HS, HLF, SNH, NTS.

J A Atkinson, O Lelong, G MacGregor and K G McLellan 2003