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MHG64181 - Dyke - Glenuig, Arisaig

Summary

Turf or feal dyke survived as a distinctive feature generally no more than 0.5m high by 0.5m wide on a base some 1.5m wide.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

An archaeological assessment was carried out by J G Robertson in 1996 as part of an environmental impact assessment for a proposed Woodland Grant Scheme application. The assessment consisted largely of the detailed study of a single 1988 aerial photograph.

Site 8: Long boundary wall, which runs SSW from the northern boundary of the WGS area. It may be the head-dyke of Glenuig township, or it may relate to a later system of land division, contemporary with Nos. 3, 9 15 and 16.
Refs: Two short fragments at N end marked on OS Map. Visible on AP.
Recomm: Ground inspection - is the wall continuous? Does it join the E-W walls, Nos. 15 and 16. <1>

A follow-up full walkover survey was conducted by Wordsworth Archaeological Services in 1996.

Site No. 8:
Description: This turf or feal dyke survived as a distinctive feature generally no more than 0.5m high by 0.5m wide on a base some 1.5m wide. Its original height is unclear but clearly must have been sufficient to restrain stock. The southern end was apparently formed by the burn running east from the south end of Cruach na Bairness though no bank was evident following the burn. At NM 6540 7665 another boundary was seen curving a sinuous 'line along the hillside as far south as NM 6520 7615. This boundary was formed of a mixture of drystone and turf walling. It too did not extend south beyond the line of the burn, though extensive peat cutting may have removed any such survival. These would appear to be land divisions separating the townships of Samalaman and Glenuig and are of uncertain date. The western wall is likely to be a slightly later adjustment of this boundary.
Recommendation: Both walls lie within the area of new planting and should be protected from destruction. They do not justify a 20m exclusion zone and a more pragmatic exclusion area should be allowed (?3m). It may not require periodic weeding. <2>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 vertical aerial photographs. <3>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NM 6641 7685 (241m by 1238m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NM67NE
Civil Parish	ARISAIG AND MOIDART
Geographical Area	LOCHABER

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (2)

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