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Achingale

Broch (Iron Age)(Possible), Long Cist (Early Medieval)

Site Name Achingale

Classification Broch (Iron Age)(Possible), Long Cist (Early Medieval)

Canmore ID 8783

Site Number ND25SW 14

NGR ND 2434 5353

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/8783

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Watten
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Caithness
  • Former County Caithness

Archaeology Notes

ND25SW 14 2434 5353

(ND 2434 5353) Broch (NR) (remains of)

OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)

Most of the mound was removed by the farmer (J Waters, Auchingale) before the discovery of a cist over 7ft long containing a skeleton and a small deerhorn comb put an end to the work. 'The portion which is left standing contains more human remains'.

Name Book 1871

In 1841 a large mound opened by Mr William Larnach revealed the ruins of a broch, with human remains and a considerable refuse heap of shells, broken bones and deer horns.

Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1873; RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910.

This broch stood on a small, almost circular plateau. On top, at the SW side, are the remains of a turf-covered mound 1.2m high on its N side, and sloping down to merge with the top of the plateau slope on its S side. No intelligible remains of the broch could be discerned.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (W D J), 27 April 1963.

All that remains of this broch is an amorphous mound, 14.0m NW-SE by 11.0m transversely and 1.2m high, which occupies the SW sector of a low rise about 45.0m NW-SE by 30.0m transversely, which presumably indicates the extent of the broch prior to its being dismantled. The situation on the edge of a natural slope above the flood plain of the Wick River is typical of a broch. The earthfast, contiguous blocks in the W slopes of the mound may be the remains of a wall face.

Visited by OS (N K B), 17 May 1982.

'Broch', Achingale. Dimensions: 16 x 10m. A small, subcircular, conspicuous mound situated on a shelf beside a river escarpment.

R J Mercer, NMRS MS/828/19, 1995.

Activities

Publication Account (2007)

ND25 2 ACHINGALE ND/2434 5353

Probable broch in Watten, Caithness, consisting of a large mound which was opened up in 1841 [3]; it was then said to have contained the ruins of a broch, and midden material was found [2]. Most of the mound was later removed and during the work human remains were found in a cist [3], after which the work stopped. The situation is on the edge of a natural slope above the flood plain of the Wick river, and is typical of a broch [1].

Sources: 1. NMRS site no. ND 25 SW 14: 2. R MacAdam 1872, 183: 3. RCAHMS 1911b, 131, no. 473.

E W MacKie 2007

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