Building record MAB10510 - CAIRN OF MILDUAN

Remains of a possible cairn described in the late 19th century as depleted to form a sheepfold nearby and for building stone.

Remains of a possible cairn described in the late 19th century as depleted to form a sheepfold nearby and for building stone. It was first opened in 1859 by Sir Andrew Keith Hay who reported finding of a cist but nothing else. Further excavation in 1952 by RJC Atkinson found a corn-drying kiln found within the mound of the cairn. RCAHMS suggest that the mound was built only to enclose the kiln and residual Iron Age pottery from the mound is residual and incorporated during its construction. However use of an artificial mound would be unusual for a corn-drying kiln as these were normally built into natural knolls or slopes. The remains of a farmstead lie nearby with foundations of houses, enclosures and clearance cairns. The farmstead is depicted on a late-18th-century estate plan (SRO: RHP 2258), which shows at least four buildings and annotates them 'Old Stance of Milduan'. The same plan also shows four fields of rig-and-furrow associated with the farmstead. None of the buildings are shown on the OS 1st edition map, but remains have been recorded by RCAHMS and FC. RCAHMS noted the remains of two buildings and a kiln. The buildings lie parallel to one another some 4m apart, and measure at least 17m from north-northwest to south-southeast by 5.5m transversely over grass-grown stony banks up to 1.3m in thickness and 0.4m in height. Each building contains at least two compartments, but both have been ploughed for forestry and their southern ends destroyed. The kiln is situated 8m north of the buildings and is contained within a grass-grown mound measuring 8m in maximum diameter and about 1.6m in height. A small, subrectangular structure defined by low, grass-grown banks is attached to the southwest side of the mound. There is also a 19th century sheepfold immediately to the southwest of the farmstead. D-shaped on plan, it measures about 25m from northeast to southwest by 20m transversely within a ruinous stone wall. It is depicted on the OS 1st and 2nd edition maps. Forestry Commission survey also noted another structure at NJ 4781 3000 revealed by recently windblown trees. Hollow-ways leading southwest appear to define the track shown on the estate map.

CLASH044, CLASH044 (Ground Photograph). SAB19041.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No78(1866) 71 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

MACDONALD, J, 1891, PLACE NAMES IN/OF STRATHBOGIE, 277 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1138.

FEACHEM, RW, 1957, PSAS 90(1956-7) 47-9, 47-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB531.

Aug 18 1990 , H12 BJ DUFF, H12 BJ DUFF (Ground Photograph). SAB12813.

Record last edited

Jun 4 2024 3:07PM