Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Loch of Yarrows, hut circle 300m ESE of South Yarrows

A Scheduled Monument in Wick and East Caithness, Highland

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 58.3718 / 58°22'18"N

Longitude: -3.1819 / 3°10'54"W

OS Eastings: 330961

OS Northings: 943203

OS Grid: ND309432

Mapcode National: GBR L6HL.R41

Mapcode Global: WH6DT.3T2Y

Entry Name: Loch of Yarrows, hut circle 300m ESE of South Yarrows

Scheduled Date: 29 October 1999

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM8533

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric domestic and defensive: hut circle, roundhouse

Location: Wick

County: Highland

Electoral Ward: Wick and East Caithness

Traditional County: Caithness

Description

The monument comprises a substantial hut circle, a domestic building of the later Bronze Age or Iron Age.

The hut circle lies at around 105m OD on level ground overlooking Loch of Yarrows to the N. The building is roughly circular in shape, measuring a maximum of 16m in diameter over stone walls spread up to 4m wide and standing up to 1m high with a simple entrance in the E.

The centre of the structure is occupied by another circular, stonewalled, building, 10m in diameter with slightly lower walls, spread to 2.5m. As the site has never been excavated, it is not known whether this double circle represents a single, complex, structure, or later reuse of the site.

The area to be scheduled is a circle, 35m in diameter, minus a chord on its N side, centred on the middle of the larger hut circle. This area includes the buildings and an area around them where remains relating to their construction and use may be expected to survive, as shown in red on the attached map.

The modern field boundary separating the improved from the unimproved land forms the N boundary of the scheduling, and is specifically excluded from the scheduling.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a prehistoric settlement that has the potential, through excavation and analysis, to enhance our knowledge of later prehistoric settlement, social organisation and economy. The unusual layout of a smaller building within a larger one further enhances the importance of this monument.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as ND 34 SW 53.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.