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Swordale, hut circle 1450m south east of, Bonar Bridge

A Scheduled Monument in North, West and Central Sutherland, Highland

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Coordinates

Latitude: 57.8796 / 57°52'46"N

Longitude: -4.319 / 4°19'8"W

OS Eastings: 262577

OS Northings: 890149

OS Grid: NH625901

Mapcode National: GBR H7QW.SFZ

Mapcode Global: WH3CC.M6KS

Entry Name: Swordale, hut circle 1450m SE of, Bonar Bridge

Scheduled Date: 7 May 1935

Last Amended: 23 February 1998

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM1877

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric domestic and defensive: hut circle, roundhouse

Location: Creich (Highland)

County: Highland

Electoral Ward: North, West and Central Sutherland

Traditional County: Sutherland

Description

The monument comprises a hut circle of prehistoric date. The monument is being rescheduled to rectify the position of the scheduled area.

The monument lies in woodland, close to the Dornoch Firth, at around 70m OD. It comprises a hut circle within an encircling walled enclosure. The enclosure measures approximately 29m in diameter with an entrance in the WNW. The walls of the enclosure are up to 5m thick on the W side, diminishing to a single line of stones on the E. The hut circle is set off-centre within the enclosure, lying to the ESE, close to the least substantial section of the enclosure wall. The hut circle measures about 14m in diameter with walls up to 2m thick and an entrance to the ESE. Within the hut circle is a horse-shoe shaped mound of grass-covered stones. Two flanking walls run NNE and SSW from the hut circle's entrance, outwith the enclosure wall. Some 20m to the SE there is a further mound of stones about 10m in diameter.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains described above, and an area around them within which material relating to the construction and use of the hut circle may be expected to survive. It is circular with a diameter of 60m, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The modern fence which crosses the area is excluded from the scheduling.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to our understanding of later prehistoric settlement and economy. Its importance is increased by its unusual design, and its proximity to other monuments of potentially contemporary date.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded in the RCAHMS as NH 69 SW 41.

Bibliography:

RCAHMS (1911) Sutherland, 24-5, no. 63.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Other nearby scheduled monuments

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