Scheduled Monument
Achorn Bridge,settlements 1100m NNE ofSM5150
Status: Designated
Documents
Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).
The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.
Summary
- Date Added
- 21/10/1991
- Type
- Prehistoric domestic and defensive: field clearance cairn, cairnfield; hut circle, roundhouse, Secular: field system; house; kiln; settlement, including deserted and depopulated and townships
- Local Authority
- Highland
- Parish
- Latheron
- NGR
- ND 13581 31464
- Coordinates
- 313581, 931464
Description
This monument consists of areas of prehistoric settlement and a post medieval settlement situated to either side of the Allt Clais Raoin. The prehistoric features include a cairnfield of at least four cairns at about ND13453149. The largest of these cairns is about 4 by 3m and about 1m high. At ND13353147 is an irregular stone-built structure, possibly a hut circle. At ND13443150 is a well preserved hut circle about 8m in diameter and with an entrance which is on the SE.
The wall of this hut is up to 1.7m wide and 0.5m high, with evidence of stone facing on both inner and outer wall faces. The post medieval settlement includes 3 clusters of buildings. At ND13853143 are 3 buildings on either side of a burn. These include a kiln barn and 2 rectangular buildings. At ND13693155 are 2 very well preserved buildings - a long house and a kiln barn.
At ND13453143 is a small ruinous rectangular house attached to an oval enclosure. The foundations of a further rectangular building survive at ND13413144 and there are a number of stone dykes in the area between the 3 settlement clusters. The area to be scheduled measures 470m WSW-ENE by a maximum of 250m N-S, to include the prehistoric and post medieval features, as shown in red on the attached map.
Statement of National Importance
The monument is of national importance for its potential to contribute to an understanding of prehistoric and post medieval settlement and land use. The hut circles and clearance cairns incorporate important information on the way of life and agricultural economy of a prehistoric community. The post medieval settlements contain evidence for the domestic organisation and farming practices of a community and also important information on the process of the Clearances in this area of Caithness. The buildings in the NE cluster are particularly well preserved and important architectural details survive.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
About Scheduled Monuments
Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.
We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.
Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
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Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the
scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).
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