Building record MAB15946 - HILLSIDE

Remains of farmstead, revealed by felling of timber, part of the Bennachie Colony, which had its origins in the 1830s, and was established on 'commonty' land shared between nine estates..

Remains of farmstead, revealed by felling of timber, part of the Bennachie Colony, which had its origins in the 1830s, and was established on 'commonty' land shared between nine estates.. It is depicted on the 1st edition OS map as a group of buildings on a U-plan, defining a court open to the south, and with an attached enclosure on the east side. The croft sits within an area of cleared fields within woodland. The buildings appear on the 2nd edition map, but may by then have been roofless. Census information indicates that in 1861 the farm was occupied by two families (Mitchell and Macdonald). RCAHMS site visit in 1999 noted the low walls of the buildings which were then in dense broom which precluded detailed recording. The site was surveyed in 2009-10 as part of the Bennachie Landscapes Project, followed by further investigation in 2012 comprising clearing of the site and detailed planning and shovel test pitting. The farm was built on a levelled stance dug into the sloping hillside. The buildings survive to a maximum height of just over 1m, the walls constructed of both quarried granite and freestone of irregular and regular courses and included two houses. The largest structure, the 'MacDonald' house, lay on the east side of the court, although a stone feature to the south suggests this may have at one time served a different function, or have replaced an earlier structure. On the opposite side of the court the 'Mitchell House' was long and narrow (14m by 4m) initially single roomed, later divided into two, and also extended to the south. North of the courtyard was a narrow range (7m by 2m) separated into 4 small rooms each opening to the court. the courtyard comprised a finely cobbled apron surrounding a large sunken area, probably the farm midden. Excavation in July 2013 by University of Aberdeen and Bailies of Bennachie, at the 'MacDonald' house recorded in-situ pottery (complete vessels), metal artefacts and a possible steamer trunk, which were crushed by falling gable ends which may have been an eviction event. Research has revealed that the McDonalds were eventually removed due to rental arrears.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2013, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 13, 2012, p.26 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5487.

OLIVER, J, 2013, HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE 'COLONY' IN SHEPHERD, C. (ED) BENNACHIE AND THE GARIOCH. BENNACHIE LANDSCAPES SERIES: 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1394.

OLIVER, J, 2015, ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BENNACHIE COLONY: EXCAVATIONS OF TWO 19TH CENTURY CROFTS (Bibliographic reference). SAB1399.

TAYLOR, S, 2015, POTTERY FINDS FROM THE COLONY SITE: SOME INITIAL OBSERVATIONS, IN SHEPHERD, C. (ED) BENNACHIE AND THE GARIOCH, 3, 99-110. (Bibliographic reference). SAB3412.

OLIVER, J, 2016, THE BENNACHIE COLONY: A 19TH-CENTURY INFORMAL COMMUNITY IN NE SCOTLAND. IN INT. JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, VOL 20 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1395.

Feb 27 1996 , AAS/96/01/G2/3,4, AAS/96/01/G2/3,4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16278.

Feb 27 1996 , AAS/96/01/G2/3-4, AAS/96/01/G2/3-4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16296.

Nov 25 1996 , AAS/96/18/CT26-27, 40, AAS/96/18/CT26-27, 40 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16540.

Nov 25 1996 , AAS/96/18/G44/7-12, AAS/96/18/G44/7-12 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16539.

Record last edited

Sep 26 2024 3:20PM