327 Hilton, Dornoch

Building Recording

Report

Site Number AN10 OS Grid Reference NH 7973 9138 Author Pete Higgins Date Produced 30 November 2010 Date revised

Photograph is of west elevation of the building

Non-technical summary

Jim Culloch, Architect, of The Design Studio, Carnoustie, acting on behalf of his clients, commissioned Archaeology North Ltd of Dornoch to undertake a standard building recording exercise at 327 Hilton, Dornoch, to inform decisions on planning permission for development.

The earliest part of the building was the south wing, probably constructed in the mid-19th century. This had been extended to the north and west at a later date, probably in the late 19th century. 20th century repairs and adaptations were also recorded.

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. The Highland Council required a programme of archaeological works as a condition of planning consent for demolition and construction works at 327 Hilton, Dornoch. 1.2. This project was designed to characterise and record the archaeological resource on the site. It comprised a desk-based assessment of the known archaeological resource, the recording of a byre, and the production and dissemination of this report.

1.3. An online digital version of this report may be found on the OASIS website at http://www.oasis.ac.uk/form/formctl.cfm?oid=archaeol21-85873.

2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT 2.1. To minimise possible delays or costs to the development by integrating archaeological works with the project. 2.2. To identify, so far as is possible, record the location, nature, date and state of preservation of the archaeological features comprising the building. 2.3. To propose arrangements for the safeguarding where possible, and recording where necessary of any archaeological features or finds identified. 2.4. To analyse and report on the findings of the investigations in line with local and national guidelines and requirements.

3. SITE LOCATION, DESCRIPTION, AND BACKGOUND INFORMATION 3.1. The byre lies within the former crofting township of Hilton (HER reference MHG 20862), now known as Embo Street, on high ground overlooking Dornoch. The settlement now comprises a single track road running east/west with residential development almost exclusively confined to the north side of the road. A croft house formerly associated with the byre has been de-crofted and developed as a holiday home. A field extends northwards from the barn; a further field extends southwards on the opposite side of the road. Where boundaries are defined they are fenced. 3.2. The British Geological Survey shows the geology of the site to be Devensian till over Raddery Sandstone formation. 3.3. Fieldwork and post-fieldwork were undertaken by Pete Higgins and Anne Johnston.

The site

Figure 1 Site location

Figure 2 The byre and surrounding buildings. Fields associated with the byre are outlined in blue, curtilage of the byre is outlined in red.

4. REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND QUALITY ASSURANCE 4.1. Scottish Planning Policy (SPP)1, Scottish Historic Environment Policy (SHEP)2, and Planning Advice Note 42 (PAN 42)3 regulate the way archaeological matters are dealt with during the planning process. There is an assumption in favour of preservation in situ, although preservation by record may be deemed sufficient by the planning authority, in this case Highland Council, advised by their in-house Archaeology Unit. 4.2. The Highland Council Structure Plan 20014 sets out the ways Highland Council implements the above policies. Those relevant include Identifying and Regulating the Use of Archaeological Sites, (BC1) Archaeological Heritage Areas, (BC3) the Integration of Environmental and Community Interests (G5), and the Conservation and Promotion of the Highland Heritage (G6). 4.3. Archaeology North Ltd follows the Code of Conduct of the Institute of Field Archaeologists (IFA). Quality of work is assured both through adherence to the standards of the IFA and through internal monitoring.

1http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/02/03132605/0 2http://www.historic‐scotland.gov.uk/shep‐july‐2009.pdf 3http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/1994/01/17081/21711 4http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/planning/developmentplans/structureplan/thehighlandstruct ureplan.htm

5. DESK­BASED ASSESSMENT

By Dr A Johnston

Documentary background The building under investigation, associated croftland and the de‐crofted adjacent house lie within the former crofting township of Hilton of Embo in the parish of Dornoch. Although lying a mere 3km to the north of the Royal Burgh of Dornoch, the township's links have always been with the lands of Embo to its north, formerly the property of the Gordons of Embo. The earliest cartographic source for this part of East Sutherland, Blaue's Atlas of 16545, whilst depicting both Embo itself and the lands of Pitgroudie to the west of the site does not show the area in sufficient detail to shed any light on the extent of cultivated land. The first reliable representation of settlement in the vicinity of what is now Hilton of Embo/Embo Street comes with General Roy's Military Survey of Scotland undertaken between 1747 and 1755 which identifies the major farms of Embo, Proncy, Achinchanter and Pitgrudie and shows an area of extended rigg and furrow at 'Braes of Embo'.6 Early 19th‐century maps show a scattering of buildings on the gently rising land between Dornoch and Embo but it is not until the first Ordnance Survey of the parish in 1874 that the constituent components of a linear township are accurately depicted strung out along the crest of the hill along the line of what is now Embo Street7. At this date, the township comprised thirty‐one roofed buildings and one partially roofed building8. The individual plots are clearly delineated, each having a long, narrow field stretching down the south‐facing slope towards Achinchanter farm and backing on to the undrained and uncultivated lands of Embo Muir/Embo Marches which would have provided rough grazing.

The date at which the township was created is unclear, its regularity of holdings and neatly spaced fields clearly suggesting that it was the result of a formal plan rather than organic growth. The majority of crofting townships in the parish can be dated to the policies of Sutherland's improving landlords who re‐settled communities from the west of their estates to the east during the agricultural re‐organisations of the late 18th and early 19th centuries: a prime example being the laying out of the settlements of Achavandra and Skelbo by Sutherland Estates to accommodate families displaced from the west for the creation of sheep runs9. At this period, though, the small estate of Embo, surrounded by land belonging to the Dukes of Sutherland, was leased by a Captain MacKay of Torboll from Robert Hume Gordon and it is not unlikely that Hilton of Embo was laid out to accommodate the estate work‐force and small tenants whose rent would contribute to the finances of the estate. Unlike most newly created townships, the lands of Hilton of Embo were not poorly drained, marginal plots but afforded some of the best land in the parish. In1835 Embo estate was

5Blaue, J, 1654, Atlas of Scotland 6Roy, William 1747‐1755, Military Survey of Scotland. 7Ordnance Survey, 1879, Six inch 1st edition map of Sutherland, Sheets CX, CXIII 8Highland Council Historic Environment Record (HER) MHG 20862 9See. Houston R., 1986, The Clearances in South‐East Sutherland in Baldwin J.(ed) Firthlands of Ross and Sutherland sold to the 2nd Duke of Sutherland and thus came under the ownership of the largest landowner in the county. It appears, though, to have retained much of its character as a separate entity and, as such, was sold to Spinningdale estates in the 1920s. Perhaps the greatest change to the internal organisation of the township and its demise as a true crofting community came with the advent of the Forestry Commission in the 1930s which, by the 1950s was running a plant nursery employing some 50 workers which covered an area of 43 acres.

327 Hilton lies at the western end of the township. No site‐specific information is found in the documentary records prior to the late 19th century although Dornoch's entry in the (first) Statistical Account of Scotland, compiled by the parish minister in the 1790s, reports on the poor living conditions, inadequate holdings, lack of leases and unsophisticated agricultural practices of the small tenantry10. Whilst the tenants of Embo Estate may have fared better than most, the author paints a picture of land in constant tillage for the production of crops of oats, bere, potatoes and beans and where 'the people [were] ….in general very poor and have but small holdings' Hogs and black cattle were kept in small numbers; the former most probably being reared for sale rather than consumption. A scarcity of fuel was a real and continuous problem, the nearest peat banks being situated on the higher ground around the communities of Birichen and Rearaquar. The author speaks of there being 'no cart road to the moss, peat and turf being carried by means of awkward apparatus on the backs of small, half‐starved horses'11 Dwellings are described as being built of seal (i.e. turf) and thatched with divot.

By the time of the Second Statistical Account compiled between 1834 and 1845 the effects of the agricultural re‐organisations are noticeable as the reporter notes the 'improvements carried out with wonderful activity ' over the preceding 15‐20 years. Embo estate is described by the Rev. Angus Kennedy as comprising one large farm of some 200 acres (of which 30‐40 acres was reclaimed waste land) the remainder of the estate being let to small tenants and they, 'of late [have] adopted a rotation of crops.' These small tenants it can be assumed resided at Hilton of Embo in the 'neat cottages built of stone and clay and harled with lime'.12 Whilst no specific mention is made of either byre or barns it is likely that the roofed building at 327 Hilton depicted on the 1874 Ordnance Survey map as lying at right‐ angles to, and conjoined with, the dwelling dates to this period of improvements.

By the time of the first revision of the 1874 map in 1906 the configuration of the buildings on site closely mirror those found today: a dwelling house with L‐shaped byre and barn lying to its east. They byre/barn is one of several still to be found along Embo Street, all built in solid stone and with slate roofs and reflects a final phase in estate improvements. It is probable that it was constructed in the 1890s at a time when landlords and central government were providing incentives for crofters to improve their holdings and take responsibility for their upkeep. In 1886, the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act was passed following on from the findings of the Napier Commission of 1883‐84 which had looked at the problems associated with crofting ‐ from both Landlord and tenants' perspective. The 'land hunger' being experienced in many congested townships, where land had been so

10Bethune, Rev. John, 1791‐1790, Parish of Dornoch in Statistical Account of Scotland pp358‐359 11Ibid., p362 12Kennedy, Rev.Angus, 1834‐1845, The Parish of Dornoch, Second Statistical Account of Scotland, p.10 intensively cultivated that it could no longer support the population expected to live off it, coupled with the lack of incentive and wherewithal for tenants to improve their holdings was legislated for by the creation of a land court ‐ the Crofters' Commission. Its remit was to travel round the Highlands, setting fair rents, cancelling arrears and considering the enlargement of crofters' holdings: the first place to be visited was Sutherland. Sutherland Estates had, however, attempted to put in place schemes to address these contentious issues including reviewing leases, fixing rents by arbitration and setting aside 150 acres at Embo Muir to be made available as crofts to those willing to relinquish the land holdings they already possessed.13 The proposal was unanimously rejected by the tenants due to the poor quality of the land being offered.

In 1894 the Crofters' Purchase scheme was introduced with the aim of enabling crofters to purchase their holdings from the estate to form a class of so‐called crofter‐proprietors in the hope that this would prevent the subdivision of crofts and overcrowding of townships. Few took up the offer, though, preferring to remain tenants with security of tenure, lower taxes and no rents. The Congested Districts Board (Scotland) Act came into being in 1897, one aim of which was to provide grants for drainage, fencing and permanent buildings on croft land. Abolished in 1912 when it was subsumed by the Board of Agriculture its work may non‐the‐ less have contributed to the distinctive late 19th and early 20th‐century farm buildings consisting of byre and barn, hen‐house, small implement shed and stable, found in many areas of Scotland and characteristic of Hilton of Embo.14 Good quality stone was available from a quarry at Embo village and supplemented the use of freely available field stone. It was during this period that Embo Muir appears to have been ploughed for the first time creating enclosed fields from the former rough grazing with additional Common Grazing rights becoming available on land towards the Links close t to Achinchanter.

Census returns for Hilton of Embo are not helpful in identifying tenant farmers by name as occupants are not identified by address and there is no indication as to whether entries were recorded in linear order or at random along the street. The census of 1901 lists seventeen families living in the township with the majority confirming their occupation as 'crofter' alongside that of any additional estate employment e.g. 'in charge or horses' on the estate15. For much of the 20th century Croft 327 was in the ownership of Angus MacKay and Kate Campbell and their descendants and it was during this period that ownership appears to have passed from the estate to occupiers. More changes in the layout of ancillary buildings on the plot occurred over time resulting in the pattern depicted on the Ordnance Survey's map produced in 1972. The house site was de‐crofted and renovated as holiday accommodation in the 1990s with the byre and croftland being sublet to tenants.

Bibliography National Library of Scotland (NLS). On‐line catalogues for : Dep. 313 Sutherland Estate Papers (pre‐1861) Acc. 10225/58 Sutherland Estate Papers (post 1861)

13Tindlay A., 2010, The Sutherland Estate 1850‐1920, p.77 14Further information on the extent and type of agricultural buildings at, and in the vicinity of , Hilton of Embo is likely to be found at the National Library of Scotland (NLS) in Acc. 10853/528 Sutherland Estate Papers, Dornoch Parish Embo Farm Buildings 1888‐1895 and NLS Acc. 10853/312 Embo 1852‐1920. 151901 Census return. Parish of Dornoch, Hilton of Embo Schedule 114

Blaeu, J., 1654, Atlas of Scotland. Viewed online at www.nls.uk. William Roy, 1747‐1755, Military Survey of Scotland. Viewed online at www.nls.uk.

Ordnance Survey, 1879, Six inch 1st edition map of Sutherland, Sheet CX surveyed 1874 Ordnance Survey, 1879, Six inch 1st edition map of Sutherland, Sheet CXIII, surveyed 1874

Bethune, Rev. John, 1791‐1799, Parish of Dornoch in Statistical Account of Scotland , County of Sutherland Vol. 8

Kennedy, Rev. Angus, 1834‐45, Parish of Dornoch, The Second Statistical Account of Scotland,County of Sutherland Vol.15.

MacLeod, Rev. William, 1957, The Parish of Dornoch in The Third Statistical Account of Scotland, County of Sutherland Vol XIXB ed. John S. Smith

Glendinning, Miles and Wade Martins, Susanna, 2008, Scotland's Farms 1750 ‐2000, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, 2010,

Houston Rod., 1986, The Clearances in South‐East Sutherland in Baldwin J. (ed) Firthlands of Ross and Sutherland.

Tindlay, Annie, 2010, The Sutherland Estate 1850‐1920. Aristocratic Decline, Estate Management and Land Reform. Scottish Historical Review. Monograph Series no. 18.

6. BUILDING RECORDING

6.1. Building Recording. A standard building survey was carried out in accordance with the HCAU development guidance16. A representative selection of the photographs and drawings appear in this report, but most are on a CD accompanying this report. Figure 3 shows the current divisions of the building, with names which reflect current use, rather than historical use of the different spaces. Figure 24 shows the location and direction faced by the photographer for each shot. The current and previous tenants were interviewed.

6.2. The building is a stone structure with lime mortar bonding and cement mortar repairs. Most is currently of single storey, while a timber superstructure above a covered area in the northeast forms a small upper storey. The roof is of slate tiles.

16http://her.highland.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=%27THG3%27 6.3. Study of the building revealed several phases of construction and use, see figures 3 to 23. Since large parts of the structure and fabric were obscured by mortar, harling and whitewash these phases are best treated as provisional.

6.4. The floored space above the covered area was in poor condition, was not directly accessed, and was recorded only by photographs taken from the west end.

6.5. Where a building element could belong to more than one phase, it has been placed in the latest possible phase. The fabric is of several stone types; local quarrying has a long history, and continues today, but little work has so far been done on establishing dates of working and types of stone produced from each quarry, so provenance of the stone for this building is uncertain, and is complicated by the probable use of fieldstones, see below.

7. PHASING

7.1. Phase 1. Mid-19th century. 7.1.1. A small building in the corresponding position appears on the 1874 OS first edition map, and it is highly probable that this comprised the south wing of the current building. Extensive later alterations have obscured or destroyed much of this phase. Surviving remnants suggest the side walls stood at least as high as at present, but the rebuilding of the south gable and removal of the north gable mean the ridge height cannot be determined. 7.1.2. This phase of construction is of roughly coursed rounded fieldstones of sandstone and granite, seen in the east and west elevation of the south wing (figures 3, 8 and 11). Courses are levelled with flatter stones, too large to be called galleting. 7.1.3. The stones are bonded with lime mortar. A small (40g) sample was taken and proved to contain c10% comminuted sea shell (species various but the sample was too small to allow meaningful quantification) and <1% charcoal. 7.1.4. A window in the west elevation has a sill stone of similar size and nature to the course levelling stones, which may indicate it belongs to this phase rather than to the next phase, when mostly squared stones were used. 7.1.5. No obvious remnants of the floor or roof survive.

7.2. Phase 2. Late 19th century. 7.2.1. In this phase the building is extended to the north, and the west wing is added. The south gable is rebuilt, generally matching the new west gable, and the covered area and tack room are created. There is some ambiguity as to whether the timber superstructure above the covered area, the roof timbers and the door and window furniture belong to this phase. The roof and superstructure appear contemporary, utilising similar wood and techniques. However, the present door furniture may belong to a later phase, see 6.2.7 below. 7.2.2. The stones are squared or roughly squared quarried sandstone, although some stones from the first phase appear to be re-used. Stones are laid in courses with occasional galleting, see figure 8. Splayed slit windows, characteristic of many farm buildings of the time in this area, and especially of byres, can be seen in the west wing in figures 3, 7, 12, 21 & 22. An upper storey is extended, if not created during this phase. 7.2.3. The stones are bonded with lime mortar. A small (45g) sample contained <2% comminuted sea shell and higher proportion of sand than the sample from Phase 1. 7.2.4. A dung channel runs east/west across the northern part of the south wing, suggesting stalls were built against the northern wall; no trace of these remain. The dung channel meets the wall halfway across the door opening, see figure 4. Normal practice was to run the channel either out through the door or take it below the wall in a drain (for example the stable building at Ross House, Dornoch), so this curious alignment suggests the door and the channel belong to different phases. The channel lies outwith the northern limit of the Phase 1 building so it is possible that Phase 2 should be sub-divided. 7.2.5. The roof is of simple construction, sawn rafters tied with collars, see figure 11, with half-lapped joints. The principal rafters carry boards below the purlins: in the few places where the relationship is visible the principal rafters sit directly on the top of the wall with no roof plate. 7.2.6. The upper storey is floored with boards laid directly on the lower chords of the roof frames. The east and west fronts of the floored area are weather boarded, supported on cross beams; the eastern cross beam is set into recesses cut into the stone, see figure11. Both east and west fronts have doors, see figures 11 and 19. A pulley wheel is situated on the roof frame above the door in the west wing, for lifting material from the lower to the upper storey. 7.2.7. The existing door and window fittings and furniture are of fairly uniform appearance and thus have been treated as contemporaneous. 7.2.8. There are matched pairs of holes in the stones either sideof the southern door frame of the west wing, and in the door frame of the tack room,see figure 18; these are interpreted as holes for barrel or gudgeon and pintle hingesfor hanging doors. In no instance are the holes aligned vertically one above another. Since it is unlikely that the narrow openings would have required hinges on both sides it is possible that the stones in the jambs have been re-used – in which case it is equally unlikely that the holes would come to the same height above the ground on each side of the doorway.These holes bear no relation to the present door furniture and their presence is evidence that this phase should be sub-divided. However, in the absence of coherent, related, evidence the phase must needs stand as it is. Further research may establish a sequence of sub-phases. 7.2.9. The threshold stone of the northern door in the west wing is much more worn than the southern, evidencing greater traffic. 7.2.10. Most sill stones are simple and roughly squared, but the sill stone of the door in the upper part of the south gable is chamfered along the length of the opening, with stops at either end. 7.2.11. The upper storey is currently restricted to above the covered area, but the upper door in the south gable attests that it formerly extended over the south wing as well. Holes in the cross timbers of the roof frames are evidence of former floor boards. The timber fronting in figure 19, together with a pulley set in the roof frame above it, and the absence of an upper door in the west gable shows that the west wing did not have an upper storey. 7.2.12. Forged iron fitments such as hitching rings were noted, see figures 8, 10 and 21. These contrast with steel fitments in the later phase.

7.3. Phase 320th century 7.3.1. This phase comprises all the alterations since Phase 2, including some which may actually date from the 21st century. 7.3.2. Remnants of a concrete floor survive at the base of the east, west walls of the west wing, and along parts of the north and south walls. In most areas the concrete lies above a layer of hardcore and has a floated surface finish. In the southeast corner, howver, an area of much coarser, unfinished concrete suggests a later posthole had been inserted through the concrete floor. A horizontal hole in the concrete in the northwest corner is of a size and shape compatible with it having been a void created by removal of a re-inforcing bar, so the contsruction of this floor has been placed in the 20th century. This floor has been incompletely removed and the floor is now of beaten earth. 7.3.3. The southern end of the southern wing was re-roofed in 1998, and at or about the same time the pillar supporting the superstructure above the covered area was demolished and rebuilt and some areas of wall re-pointed (L. Foreman, former tenant, pers. comm.). 7.3.4. Panels on the north and west walls of the tack room also date from this phase. Electric points were noted in the tack room and elsewhere, but the building does not appear to benefit from a mains supply, so a generator may have stood in or near the building, possibly on hard standing, see 6.4.1 below. 7.3.5. Two lean-to structures are shown on the west gable on the OS 1972 map. These have been demolished and only traces of a lean-to were recorded, see figure 9.

7.4. Other notes 7.4.1. Concrete was found below the vegetation in an overgrown, level area to the southwest of the building. This may be a building platform, hard standing, or works associated with water supply. 7.4.2. A structure immediately adjacent to the east of the building is shown on maps from 1972 (and possibly from 1959-60 – the map is obscure) to date, including the planning proposal map. However, no trace of such a structure was found on the fabric of the building, and the two may not have been in contact. The current tenant describes removing an earthen lading platform from this area (R Holland, pers comm). 7.4.3. In the covered area the walls above a certain height were covered in green algae (figure 23), suggesting the walls had until recently been covered up to that height. However, neither the current nor previous tenants recall such cover. 7.4.4. The buildings to the east of the site are in the same locations as some shown on the 1874 OS map, and appear relatively untouched. They are of similar build to Phase 1, and in particular it was noted that the window lintels were similar to that of the window in the south wing, and therefore likely to be contemporary. Other buildings of the same date survive in Embo Street, although several are known to have been demolished or undergone major alterations. Study of the survivors may throw light on the development of Embo Street and especially on the apparent spate of byre construction in the late 19th century. 7.4.5. Cracks in the west wing walls (figures 19 & 20) suggest some movement may have occurred or is still ongoing.

8. DISCUSSION 8.1. The present building is the result of two main phases of construction. The first occurred sometime before 1874, and possibly as early as the first laying out of Hilton of Embo/Embo Street, see the documentary evidence above. The first phase comprised a comparatively small building standing east and to the rear of the croft house. This was probably used as a byre, and although no trace of dung channel or stalls was found these may well have been swept away by later phases. The use of field stones rather than quarried stone is significant, although it is not clear whether the present quarried stone quoins in the south gable are survivors of this first phase. It may be that fieldstone was used only for the bulk of the walls, with quarried stone quoins. 8.2. It is also not clear if this phase possessed a hay loft, no evidence of such a structure survives, but it may have been destroyed by later construction. 8.3. The second phase utilised quarried stone and resulted in a much larger building. This phase is dated by cartographic evidence to between 1874 and 1906, by which date the current L-shaped outline is visible on OS mapping. As discussed above, it is probable that the construction was part of a wider programme of improvements, although again the precise date cannot be established. 8.4. The new building appears to have been divided into different areas for different uses from the start. 8.4.1. The dung channel in the north end of the south wing indicates use of that part as a byre, while the upper door in the south gable shows an upper storey was present and may have been used as a hay loft. This upper storey extended above the covered area and tack room, but not above the west wing. The differential wear noted on the threshold stones of the west wing suggest the northern entrance was more in use than the southern. 8.4.2. The tack room was also defined at this time, and may well have had the same function as presently. The lack of an upper storey in the west wing suggests it may have been used as a barn, although the absence of an obvious threshing floor may indicate otherwise. If the present stable doors in the west wing and south gable are from the second phase, then both these areas may have been used as stabling. This would indicate a larger number of horses than one would expect on a croft. The ventilation pipes in the east elevation show that this area was used for livestock. 8.4.3. The covered area resembles a cart house, and may well have been used as such. 8.4.4. Overall, the second phase building is a well-designed, multi-purpose farm building. Its usefulness may be measured by its continued use. Several similar buildings survive in Embo Street. 8.5. Of the materials used in the second phase – quarried stone, sawn timber and roofing slate – the former probably comes from the quarry at Embo, the second from local timber yards, and the third from outwith the area, probably transported by rail. 8.6. The second phase is contemporaneous with many other instances of barn/byre construction and alteration in the area. Further research is needed to establish the causes behind this surge in farm building construction. For example, the Congested Districts Board are known to have planned a programme of improvements at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, but these do not appear to have been carried out.17 8.7. The third phase has been very long, lasting from the completion of the second phase – by 1906 – to the present day. No major structural alterations occur, but there have been many small and medium scale repairs to the walls, roof, and possibly to the doors and windows. 8.8. No trace of the structure depicted to the east of the south wing on the 1972 OS map was found. 8.9. Apart from a few minor changes near the croft house the enclosures shown in figure 25 remain virtually unaltered on the OS map series and it is likely that remains of these survive below the surface vegetation.

17 Tindlay A., 2010, The Sutherland Estate 1850‐1920, p.77

9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9.1. The building is of some regionally since parts of it may date from the earliest days of Embo Street. The major rebuild and extension between 1874 and 1906 has removed much of the earlier structure, but is itself of interest. 9.2. Few farm buildings of late 19th/early 20th century date have been investigated in the Dornoch area, and at least one other example has recently been demolished without recording. Taking into account the earlier phase, it is recommended that a watching brief be conducted during development work on the building.

Appendix I

The Highland Council Historic Environment Record (HER). http://her.highland.gov.uk The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Canmore... www.rcahms.gov.uk Historic Scotland. www.historic‐scotland.gov.uk Am Baile, The Highland Council's learning and resource archive. www.ambaile.org.uk National Library of Scotland. www.nls.uk

Copyright. Copyright of this report rests with Archaeology North Ltdwith all rights reserved; excepting that information deposited with the HCAU may freely be copied without reference to Archaeology North Ltd for the purpose of study or development control in respect of the planning process.

Planning references:

Reference Number 10/02422/PIP Date 3 June 2010

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. Site location

2. The byre and surrounding buildings. Fields associated with the byre are outlined in blue, curtilage of the byre is outlined in red

3. Plan of building, showing divisions

4. Plan of south wing

5. Plan of west wing

6. Plan of tack room

7. South elevation of west wing

8. West elevation of south wing

9. West gable end of west wing

10. South gable end of south wing

11. East elevation of south wing and covered areas

12. North elevation of west wing

13. Internal east elevation of south wing

14. Internal north elevation of south wing

15. Internal south elevation of south wing

16. Internal west elevation of south wing

17. Internal east elevation of tack room

18. Internal south elevation of tack room, with east and west door jambs

19. Internal east elevation of west wing

20. Internal west elevation of west wing

21. Internal north elevation of west wing

22. Internal south elevation of west wing

23. South, west and north elevations of covered area 24. Location of photographs

25. Figure 24 OS 1st edition map, surveyed 1874

Key to illustrations

W Wood

G Granite

PG Pink Granite

CM Cement Mortar

Filled voids in the south wing were filled with modern plaster.

Phasing

Phase 1 is in red

Phase 2 is in blue

Phase 3 is in magenta

Datum

Datum level is 38.48m aOD, except for figure 23, where the datum is 38.16m aOD.

Limitations

While every effort has been made to ensure the illustrations are an accurate record of the upstanding archaeology, they are not intended and must not be used for other purposes, such as construction, estimation or renovation.

Figure 3 Plan of building, showing divisions

Figure 4 Plan of south wing Plan of south wing

Figure 5 Plan of west wing

Figure 6 Plan of tack room Figure 7 South elevation of west wing

Figure 8 West elevation of south wing Figure 9 West gable end of west wing Figure 10 South gable end of south wing Figure 11 East elevation of south wing and covered areas Figure 12 North elevation of west wing

Figure 13 Internal east elevation of south wing Figure 14 Internal north elevation of south wing Figure 15 Internal south elevation of south wing

Figure 16 Internal west elevation of south wing Figure 17 Internal east elevation of tack room Figure 18 Internal south elevation of tack room, with east and west door jambs Figure 19 Internal east elevation of west wing Figure 20 Internal west elevation of west wing Figure 21 Internal north elevation of west wing

Figure 22 Internal south elevation of west wing Figure 23 South, west and north elevations of covered area Figure 24 Location of photographs

Phase 1 building

The Ice House

Crofthouse

Figure 25 OS 1st edition map, surveyed 1874