Bruan Free Church, Caithness

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Archaeological Survey

Desk-based Assessment and Standing Building Survey Report

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Archaeological Survey

Bruan Free Church, Caithness

Desk-based Assessment, and Standing Building Survey Report

Report No. HAS140913

Site Code HAS_BFC14

Client Kraft architecture + research

Planning Ref 07/00045/FULCA

OS Grid Ref ND 31350 39575 Date/ 04/11/14 revision Author Lachlan Mckeggie

Summary

A desk-based assessment and photographic survey were undertaken to record the former Free Church at Bruan, Caithness, and structures and features nearby that might be affected by redevelopment of the church to form a dwelling house. This report presents the results of this work.

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Contents

Aims and objectives ...... 4 Location ...... 5 Legislation and Policy ...... 7 Background ...... 7 Desk Based Assessment ...... 8 Survey ...... 12 Feature 1: Boundary Walls ...... 13 Feature 2: Bruan Free Church ...... 14 Feature 3: School House ...... 20 Feature 4: 20th c. Building footings ...... 26 Conclusions and Recommendations ...... 27 Appendix: Photography ...... 28

Illustrations Figure 1 Project location (general) ...... 5 Figure 2: Site location and layout as supplied by client...... 6 Figure 3: Sites identified in Desk Based Assessment ...... 7 Figure 4: Section from the 1st edition 1:2500 scale OS map ...... 10 Figure 5: Site with Features as found...... 12 Figure 6: Plan, Feature 2 Free church ...... 15 Figure 7: Plan Feature 3 Old School House ...... 21 Figure 8: Plan Feature 4 modern structure ...... 25 Figure 9: Camera Points ...... 30 Figure 10: Rectified photo Feature 2 SW wall ...... 30 Figure 11: Rectified photo Feature 2 NE wall ...... 31 Figure 12: Rectified Photo Feature 2 NW gable ...... 31 Figure 13: Photo with measurements SE gable (composite photograph, not rectified) ...... 32 Figure 14: Rectified photo Feature 3 NE wall...... 32 Figure 15: Rectified photo Feature 3 SW gable ...... 33 Figure 16: Feature 3 NW wall ...... 33 Figure 17 Free Church as existing: architect’s drawings ...... 34 Figure 18 School house as existing: architect's drawings ...... 35

Plate 1: Old School house inside (BFC14_74) ...... 4 Plate 2: Feature 1 Drystone wall, W of entrance (BFC14_003) ...... 13 Plate 3: Feature 1 Wall, SE of Entrance (BFC14_005-009) (Composite) ...... 13 Plate 4: Graffiti inside E gable wall (BFC14_264) ...... 14 Plate 5 Free Church: E Gable from S (BFC14_120) ...... 16 Plate 6: Free church: SW facing wall (BFC14_51) ...... 16 Plate 7: E door in SW Wall with original woodwork above (BFC14_250) ...... 17 Plate 8: The NW Gable (BFC14_27) ...... 18 Plate 9: Feature 2 NWall (BFC14_22) ...... 18 Plate 10: Inside church S wall with plaster (BFC14_245&246) ...... 19 Plate 11: Feature 2 inside showing fire place and plaster at lower level (BFC14_262) ...... 20 Plate 12: Feature 3 SW Gable (BFC14_52) ...... 22 Plate 13: Feature 3 SE facing wall (BFC14_54&55) ...... 22 Plate 14: Blocked doorway behind fire place in NE gable (BFC14_62) ...... 23 Plate 15: Feature 3 Lean too (BFC14_193) ...... 23 Plate 16: Feature 2 NW wall (BFC14_214&215) ...... 24 Plate 17: Feature 3 Roof on inside of structure (BFC14_85) ...... 24 Plate 18: Feature 4 NW wall (BFC14_89) ...... 26 Plate 19: Feature 4 inside with metal railing (BFC14_96) ...... 27

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Acknowledgements

Background mapping has been reproduced by permission of the Ordnance Survey under Licence 100043217. Project drawings are reproduced courtesy of the client.

Aims and objectives

The objectives of the proposed work were to:

 Examine and establish the nature and extent of any features of archaeological significance that would be affected by the proposed development, and to record these to professional standards, in line with current legislation and policy.

 Minimise any possible delay or cost to the development by anticipating archaeological requirements as far as possible, timetabling and integrating archaeological recording work with the project, and dealing with any issues arising quickly and efficiently.

Plate 1: Old School house inside (BFC14_74)

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Location

The site comprises ground around Old Bruan Free Church, Caithness at approximate grid reference ND 31350 39575.

Figure 1 Project location (general) From OS mapping, reproduced under Licence. Not to original scales

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Figure 2: Site location and layout as supplied by client.

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014 Legislation and Policy

The common principles underlying international conventions, national legislation and local authority planning policies are that cultural heritage assets should be identified in advance of development and safeguarded where practicable; if disturbance is unavoidable appropriate recording of features and recovery of portable artefacts should take place. These have been set out in international and European Union agreements, and UK and Scottish legislation, as well as national and local planning policies1.

Professional standards during the present project have been secured by adherence to the Codes of Conduct and Approved Practice and Standards of the Institute for Archaeologists and the Highland Council’s Standards for Archaeological Work. Background

The proposed development is for the conversion of a church to a house at Bruan Free Church, Caithness. Archaeological fieldwork was undertaken in response to a planning condition imposed by the Highland Council at the request of their Historic Environment Team (07/00045/FULCA). This required a desk-based assessment and a Level 1 standing building survey of the church and two other buildings within the plot. This report presents the results of the above.

Figure 3: Sites identified in Desk Based Assessment

1 A summary of relevant international, EU, UK and Scottish legislation and policies is available from the Highland Archaeology Services office on request.

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Desk Based Assessment

A desk-based assessment of the recorded archaeology within half a kilometre of the site was undertaken to provide a context for the fieldwork proposed and to give an indication of the archaeological potential of the present site. Eighteen sites were noted, and their locations are shown in Figure 3 above. Archaeological Records Both the Highland Council’s Historic Environment Record (HHER) and the National Monuments Record Scotland (NMRS) were consulted and checked for archaeology in the area. NMRS numbers given are the all-numeric ‘Numlink’.

DBA 1: Craigallachie Grid Ref: ND 3110 3980 HHER Ref: MHG2275 / MHG42962 NMRS: - Description: Limekiln. 7.0m x 5.0m with height 1.5m. Oval Mound of large irregular stones. Three depressions in centre.

DBA 2: Bruan, Longhouse, kiln barn Grid Ref: ND 3100 3976 HHER Ref: MHG20380, MHG44982 NMRS: 98514 Description: (no details given)

DBA 3: Bruan, Kiln Barn Grid Ref: ND 3100 3978 HHER Ref: MHG17522 NMRS: 8937 Description: (no details given)

DBA 4: Lime Kiln, Craigallachie Grid Ref: ND 3109 3969 HHER Ref: MHG22636 NMRS: 109048 Description: Depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map, (Caithness), 1871 [HHER]

DBA 5: Ivy Cottage Byre, Ulbster Grid Ref: ND 3156 3977 HHER Ref: MHG15349, MHG43035 NMRS: 254241 HSLB (B): 44582 Description: Later to late 19th century byre; rubble masonry, roughly coursed, some later harl pointing. Rectangular plan, at right angles to house, running NE-SW. 2 doors to SE elevation, remaining elevations blank (blocked door to NW).Boarded doors. Piended roof to NE; gabled wallhead to SW. Caithness slate roof with 5 small glazed roof panes. [HS]

DBA 6: Ulbster, Ivy Cottage & Walls Grid Ref: ND 3155 3980. HHER Ref: MHG43037 NMRS: 174294 HSLB (C): 19479 Description: Later to late 19th century, single storey cottage raised to include attic, 1931, with adjoining byre (listed separately) forming L-plan group. Harled. Running NW-SE. SW elevation 3-bay with door at centre masked by gabled timber porch; small windows flanking and gabled timber dormers above, breaking eaves. NW elevation with small window at ground to right; SE elevation with later, single storey gabled addition to left and corner of byre to outer left. Rear elevation largely blank with small window at centre. 4-pane timber sash and case windows. Graded grey slates and stone ridge. Harled gablehead stacks. Garden walls: rubble coped rubble walls; wire fencing to NE and SE.[HS]

DBA 7: Two Walls, Bruan Grid Ref: ND 3120 3950 HHER Ref: MHG33459, MHG39918 NMRS: - Description: Two walls and two cairns. Mercer: Vol. 3: No. 114 [HHER]

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

DBA 8: Craigallachie Grid Ref: ND 3100 3980 HHER Ref: MHG33458 NMRS: - Description: Enclosure. Dimensions - 13m by 9m, height 0.4m. Rectangular enclosure formed by a stone wall 0.8m high. Some coursing visible on the SW corner. Possible entrance near NW corner. Enclosure abuts subrectangular platform 1.5m high at S end, which consists of a rough pile of stones. Mercer: Vol. 3: No. 112 [HHER]

DBA 9: Broch, Bruan Grid Ref: ND 3102 3949 HHER Ref: MHG2272 NMRS: 8934 HSSM: 529 Description: A robbed broch represented by a turf-covered stony mound about 10ft high and 50ft in diameter, surrounded at a distance of about 31ft, by a wall about 4.5ft high which stands on the inner lip of a ditch about 28ft broad and 3.5ft deep from the top of the counterscarp. Except on the W, the ditch has been almost destroyed by cultivation. RCAHMS 1911; R W Feachem 1963.

A broch, as described. The outer wall-face is visible in the S arc as a single, disconnected course of heavy stone. Ground disturbance and protruding upright slabs in the berm to the W of the broch indicate the presence of outbuildings. No name is known locally. Resurveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (N K B) 3 May 1967. [HHER]

DBA 10: Mission Chapel / Free Church Grid Ref: ND 3135 3955 HHER Ref: MHG25111, MHG37182, MHG42983 NMRS: 191580 Also a building at risk: 856 Description: Simple rectangular-plan church in rubble and slate with a stone bellcote over the E gable. Round-arched traceried windows sit at each of the long elevations. [HHER]

Appears on the 1st edition (six inch series) OS map as Free Church with a school sited towards the N of the church boundary. [NMRS]

DBA 11: Clearance Cairn, Ivy Cottage Grid Ref: ND 3164 3967 HHER Ref: MHG25189 NMRS: 8941 Description: A stone heap, 8.2 by 3 by 2.5m high. Possibly modern field clearance. C E Batey 1981 [HHER].

DBA 12: Bruan Church of Scotland Grid Ref: ND 3129 3950 HHER Ref: MHG37184 NMRS: 191584 Description: Bruan Church was built as a United Free Church in 1910 to the designs of Sinclair Macdonald of Thurso. The L-plan building contains a rectangular church with a timber panelled ceiling and a small vestry to the rear. Sliding doors opening into a side hall were provided to enable extra seating for large services if required.

The building is constructed of harled rubble with sandstone dressings under a slate roof. The site is bounded by a dry stone wall with decorative cast iron railings and gate to the front onto the road.

RCAHMS holds the original drawings for the church in the Sinclair McDonald and Son Collection. Information from RCAHMS (STG/NG), 2010. [NMRS]

DBA 13: Mounds, Bruan Church Grid Ref: ND 3122 3945 HHER Ref: MHG422 NMRS: 8946 Description: About twenty low, grass-covered, stony mounds, apparently artificial, averaging 2.7 by 2.5 by 0.3m high, and covering an area about 25.8 by 19.8m. C E Batey 1982.Caithness Coastal Survey. LAT 216. [HHER]

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

DBA 14: Clearance Cairn, Ivy Cottage Grid Ref: ND 3164 3963 HHER Ref: MHG419 NMRS: 8942 Description: A stone heap, 6.3 by 6.8 by 1.5m high. Possibly modern field clearance. C E Batey 1981. Caithness Coastal Survey. WIC 214 [HHER]

DBA 15: Broch, Bruan Grid Ref: ND 3108 3946 HHER Ref: MHG425 NMRS: 8949 Description: A stony grass-covered mound, of unknown period, roughly rectangular, 23.2 by 6.7 by 0.25m high, with a high central stony patch. C E Batey 1982 [HHER]

DBA 16: Clearance Cairn, Ivy Cottage (1) Grid Ref: ND 3170 3970 HHER Ref: MHG2548 NMRS: 8940 Description: Two stone heaps, 12.5 by 4.5 by 2.4m high and 11 by 4.5 by 2.4m high. Possibly modern field clearance. C E Batey 1981. Caithness Coastal Survey. WIC 212. [HHER]

DBA 17: Clearance Cairn, Ivy Cottage (2) Grid Ref: ND 3158 3958 HHER Ref: MHG2549 NMRS: 8943 Description: A partially grass-covered stone heap, possibly modern field clearance. 4 by 5 by 1m high. C E Batey 1981. Caithness Coastal Survey. WIC 215. [HHER]

Historic Maps Historical maps were viewed using the National Library’s Scotland’s online service; one new feature was identified.

‘Brewin’ is shown on William Roy’s military map of 1747-55. However the first maps to show details of particular interest are the 1st and 2nd edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch (1:10560) and 25 inch (1:2500) scale maps. The first edition, surveyed in 1871, shows the Free Church with School (Figure 4). Interestingly there is a third building just outside that does not seem to be noted in the HHER or NMRS. It is also noteworthy that the church seems to have been built in close proximity to a quarry. Although this is labelled within the site boundary it seems likely that it actually refers to the steep face on the south east side above the road. It is even possible that stone from this quarry was used in the construction of the church.

Figure 4: Section from the 1st edition 1:2500 scale OS map (Caithness Sheet XXXIV.3 (Combined) published 1877) (Not reproduced to scale)

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

The second edition map surveyed in 1905 (Caithness-shire, Sheet 034.03 & 034.04) also shows the same layout with an additional building within the enclosure to the SW. This is identified as the U. F. Church or United Free church. This new structure appears to be part of DBA12: the building now referred to as the ‘Bruan Church of Scotland’ was not supposedly built until 1910, but this may be its precursor, now incorporated into the structure still visible today.

DBA 18: Structure Grid Ref: ND 31307 39532 Description: A rectangular structure, depicted on 1st and 2nd edition OS large scale maps between the Free and United Free churches at Bruan. Its function is not clear although it may be connected to the quarries on the N and SW sides. Old and New Statistical Accounts This site falls into the parish of Wick. In the first Statistical Account (1791-1799) by Rev William Sutherland, Bruan is not mentioned by name. New religious groups are noted as having appeared but these are said to be on the decline2. There is no specific section on antiquities, but Castle Sinclair and The Castle of Old Wick are referred to3.

Rev Charles Thompson 1834-45 This account includes a long history of the area from ‘Celtic times’ and ends in 1690 ‘Nothing has since occurred within it worth recording’4. There is also a section on Antiquities (p137), in which the excavation of a ‘Pectish house’ (apparently a Broch) is discussed5 as well as descriptions of local castles. The Mission of Bruan is referred to, and it appears that at the time of writing the area had a mission house:

It was built in 1798, to which an isle was subsequently added. It is a very plain thatched building, capable of accommodating 585 sitters.6

From the description of its location, this mission house must have been close to the present development, but it is not clear from the Account if this is the same building as the Free Church (DBA10), or perhaps its predecessor. This was later checked in the field.

National Archives of Scotland

Further investigation was made in the National Archives and a reference to the site was found (Ref: CH3/883):

Bruan Free Church began as a mission of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, whose minister adhered to the Free Church at the Disruption. The charge was sanctioned in 1845 and a minister settled in 1847. It passed to the United Free Church, but church and manse were allocated to the Free Church and replacements were built in 1910. The Church of Scotland charge, which was in the presbytery of Caithness and the synod of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness, united with Thrumster as Bruan-Thrumster in 1934. In 1961 the union was dissolved and Bruan united with Lybster as Lybster and Bruan

Desk-based Assessment: Conclusions This is an area of high archaeological potential, with many sites in close proximity the purposes of the current work are however simply to provide context for a building survey and will thus focus on the structures within the plot (DBA 10). It appears that Bruan Free Church was originally founded as a

2 http://stat-acc-scot.edina.ac.uk/link/1791-99/Caithness/Wick/10/19/ 3 http://stat-acc-scot.edina.ac.uk/link/1791-99/Caithness/Wick/ 4 http://stat-acc-scot.edina.ac.uk/link/1834-45/Caithness/Wick/15/136/ 5 http://stat-acc-scot.edina.ac.uk/link/1834-45/Caithness/Wick/15/137/ 6 http://stat-acc-scot.edina.ac.uk/link/1834-45/Caithness/Wick/15/162/

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014 mission station of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. The mission house constructed in 1798 seems to have been a predecessor to the present building. The present Free Church building (Figure 5, Feature 2) intended to be converted to a house, is certainly the same as that shown on the first edition OS maps of 1871 as a Free Church with school. By 1905 it had been joined by a United Free Church just below (outside the plot) which later passed to the Church of Scotland (DBA12). Survey

A photographic survey of the site was carried out on 11th and 12th of September 2014. Conditions on the 11th were bright and sunny with light breezes, and all photographs, including those for 3D models were taken then and feature descriptions were produced. On the 12th, conditions were misty with limited visibility, but the day was used to complete measurements for drawings, including elevations. The four features in Figure 5 were noted and recorded.

Figure 5: Site with Features as found.

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Feature 1: Boundary Walls

Plate 2: Feature 1 Drystone wall, W of entrance (BFC14_003)

A dry stone wall surrounds the site on three and a half sides. This wall is mainly complete and in good condition, complete with vertical capstones. It is up to 2m in height with a projecting plinth in places. It is around 1m wide at the base, narrowing to around 0.4m at the top.

The wall has been used for a lean-to from Feature 3 (School House). Here the capstones have been removed and concrete blocks added to the top.

The SW facing section of the wall is complete on the W side up to the entrance but on the E of this, the wall has been modified. A low, damaged section of wall standing around 0.5m high runs for 4m SE from the entrance gap, terminating in a wooden strainer post. There is then a 5m gap. The wall running from this gap to the SE corner is around 0.5m high with slim horizontal capping stones, which have had iron railings (now cut off) set into them. At the NW end of this low-capped wall is a damaged square stone pillar, 1.2m high made with large dressed stone blocks.

It seems probable that a rectangular enclosure was created here with an entrance on the S side. This appears to have been modified later lowering the E side of the SW wall adding railings and perhaps another pedestrian entrance.

Plate 3: Feature 1 Wall, SE of Entrance (BFC14_005-009) (Composite)

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Feature 2: Bruan Free Church The church was ostensibly a simple rectangular building orientated gable on to the closest part of the main road a little off NW/SE (Figure 6). It is 23.55m by 13.45m (presumably 77 by 44 ft). The church is well constructed from local mortared stone with substantial footings raised to level at the W corner. The simple Roman arched windows and doors were a popular post-reformation style. The roof is clad in local slate, although areas have fallen in on both the N and S sides.

A 3D digital model of the church was made using photos taken and a video of this is available online at: http://youtu.be/7QEgN4HB66o

Plate 4: Graffiti inside E gable wall (BFC14_264)

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Figure 6: Plan, Feature 2 Free Church

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

SE Gable: (Plates 4 and 5) The SE gable is dominated by a large Roman arched window and has a chimney as well as a round inset feature, perhaps for a clock face or sundial, with an iron stud in the centre. Inside, a simple fire place is located to the N of the window. Some original plaster survives inside which bears some graffiti.

Plate 5 Free Church: E Gable from S (BFC14_120)

Plate 6: Free church: SW facing wall (BFC14_51)

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Plate 7: E door in SW Wall with original woodwork above (BFC14_250)

SW Wall: (Plates 6, 7) The SW facing façade appears to be the least altered, with two tall windows at the centre and a door at each side, positioned symmetrically. All are boarded up (Plate 6). Above these, the wall heads project slightly. Inside, these features retained some of their original woodwork but no glass has survived. Large areas of the inside of this wall retained their plaster but this was very mouldy with large green patches (Plate 7).

NW Gable: (Plate 8) The NW gable has been heavily modified with the insertion of a large rectangular opening. This is accompanied by a long iron beam above and projecting to the S which presumably bore a sliding door (now gone). On the N side at the same level, holes are visible in the wall - perhaps to hold another door. Above the door the keystone of a Roman type arch similar to those on the original windows and doors remains. This stone is surrounded by concrete blocks shaped to fit the opening. Above this an

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014 electric light fitting has been added to the gable. This modification, presumably to enable access by machinery, has almost completely destroyed one of the original openings although it is not clear if this was a window or a door. This all seems to indicate agricultural or industrial reuse of the building after it ceased to be used as a church.

Plate 8: The NW Gable (BFC14_27)

Plate 9: Feature 2 NWall (BFC14_22)

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

NE Wall: (Plate 9) The NE wall was the most heavily modified, with two apparently new openings. It seems this wall originally had three Roman arched windows laid out symmetrically along the wall. (It is possible, though unlikely, that the central opening was originally a door.) A smaller square window has been added to the E side and new wide rectangular entrance to the centre. This entrance has broken through the original central feature leaving the top part intact complete with some original woodwork. On the outside an iron beam runs over the top of the new entrance and projects to the E, probably to hold a sliding door (now gone). The wall heads project slightly along this side.

Inside (Plates 10, 11) It appears the building would have had panelling or similar on the lower part of the walls, which are free of plaster in most places up to 1.2m with a clean line above. Above this the marks in the plaster suggest that the whole walls were later panelled (Plate 10).

There may have been a separate room in the E corner by the fireplace as the plaster comes down to the floor level, but is missing higher up. Perhaps this was a small vestry or Session room (Plate 11).

Throughout the building, the floor area was covered in a thick soft layer of organic matter, and it seems unlikely that much of the original floor survives beneath this but it is possible. There is a hole beneath the westernmost window in the SE wall but this was not cleared further.

Plate 10: Inside church S wall with plaster (BFC14_245&246)

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Plate 11: Feature 2 inside showing fire place and plaster at lower level (BFC14_262)

At the time of survey all openings were blocked with timber with the exception of the E gable window which was open for access.

Feature 3: School House This building is located on the NE side of the plot, and consisted of two parts (Figure 7). A main dry local stone built building 7.4m by 10.8m orientated NE/SW; and an extension on the NE side in wood, mortared concrete blocks and corrugated asbestos cement. This lean-to runs the width of the original structure and out to the enclosure wall (Feature 1) which forms the end wall. It is 7.4m by 3.9m externally (7.1m by 3.3m internal).

SW School Gable (Plate 12) This gable contains one rectangular window with a stone lintel on the E side. It also has a fire place and central internal chimney. The W corner is almost totally destroyed, exposing the double skinned wall construction. The E corner is intact and well constructed from large local stones. Some of the original wooden frame is still preserved inside the window. The entire gable leans away from the rest of the structure at an alarming angle.

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Figure 7: Plan Feature 3 Old School House

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Plate 12: Feature 3 SW Gable (BFC14_52)

SE School Wall (Plate 13) The SE facing wall contains a doorway and single rectangular window on the N side. Parts of a wooden frame were preserved on the inside of the window opening with stone lintels.

Plate 13: Feature 3 SE facing wall (BFC14_54&55)

NE School Gable (Plates 14, 15) The NE gable contained no windows but did have a fireplace and central chimney. This appeared to have been opened through to the outside and blocked in again at some point. The lean-to had also been attached to this gable (Plate 13).

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Plate 14: Blocked doorway behind fire place in NE gable (BFC14_62)

Plate 15: Feature 3 Lean too (BFC14_193)

School Lean-to (Plate 15) The lean-to attached to the NE side of the structure utilised the gable wall and the enclosure dry stone wall (Feature 1). Two new sections of concrete block walls have been constructed. One extending from the original buildings N corner straight out to the enclosure wall, the other on top of the

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014 enclosure wall to lift the height to 1.8m. This required the removal of the cap stones from this wall. A possible stone gate-post was visible on the E side of the modified enclosure wall. The lean-to roof sloped down from the gable to the outer wall and was constructed from apparently recycled wooden beams and corrugated concrete asbestos roofing panels. The roof had a wooden panelled frontage on the SE side but this was missing on the W side (Plate 16). It seems likely that this lean-to was constructed around the same time as the modifications to the church; both probably relate to some sort of agricultural use, perhaps for the storage of machinery.

NW School Wall (Plate 16) The NW facing wall of the schoolhouse contains two rectangular windows with stone lintels. The wall head projects slightly and the concrete block wall of the lean-to projects from the N corner.

Plate 16: Feature 2 NW wall (BFC14_214&215)

Plate 17: Feature 3 Roof on inside of structure (BFC14_85)

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

The School Roof (Plates 16, 17) The roof of this structure was entirely collapsed at the time of the survey although much of the wood was intact. This showed a sturdy construction in timber with boarding and slate held together with square sectioned iron nails and large slates. The local slates had been laid with the largest over the wall heads and where these were assessible they were found to be very large, up to 1m by 1.3m. It appeared the ridge had broken and the roof material had mainly folded into the structure.

Figure 8: Plan Feature 4 modern structure

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Feature 4: 20th c. Building footings

Despite being clearly much more modern than the other features on site, a further structure survives as footings, with only the NW wall surviving above 0.5m. (Figure 8, Plates 18, 19). This is entirely constructed from concrete blocks, concrete asbestos and iron. The whole measures 30m by 10m with the long axis running NE/SW. The outer walls were constructed from a single skin of concrete blocks with regular buttresses for support. Both gables are destroyed, but the SW end had been raised up to level the building.

Internally a series of walls divide up the space. These run mainly the length of the structure with two capped walls on the W side and an uncapped broken wall on the E side. The capped walls have regular holes, where large iron railings have been removed. One of these railings is still in situ although it is obviously damaged.

Corrugated concrete asbestos panels, probably from the roof, as well as much other debris lie across the structure. Asbestos downpipes are also present on the outside of both long walls.

It is not clear what the function of this building was and its poor state of preservation suggests it might have been deliberately destroyed. It could be a second world war building converted to agricultural use.

Plate 18: Feature 4 NW wall (BFC14_89)

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Plate 19: Feature 4 inside with metal railing (BFC14_96)

Conclusions and Recommendations

Four structures were recorded on the site

Feature 1: Enclosure walls Feature 1 (drystone wall) is the boundary and may be the oldest structure on the site. It is recommended that if any of the currently well preserved parts of the feature require to be cut through during building work, a section through this is recorded by an archaeologist to clarify the construction details and establish whether any earlier features lie beneath. However, part of the SW facing wall is already badly damaged and no further archaeological recording is proposed in the section up to the pillar (around 8m) SE of the current entrance. This should give ample site access.

Feature 2: Free Church This church does not appear to be the ‘mission house’ described in the Second Statistical Account. There is no evidence for the added aisle mentioned there. It seems most likely that this is a replacement of that building perhaps built on the same spot at some point in the mid 19th c.

The church itself is in need of urgent attention. If the current roof structure collapses it is likely to damage and weaken the walls.

It was possible to obtain good photographs of most aspects apart from the east gable, where site constraints made only oblique photography possible. No further field recording of the buildings is recommended, but if possible additional photographs of the east gable would be useful; and if significant discoveries are made during the development, such as evidence of floors, earlier buildings or alterations, or of the quarry that formed this site, we recommend that photos are taken and copies sent to the Highland Historic Environment team.

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Feature 3: School House This has a very different construction to the Free Church building. There is no firm dating evidence for this building, but it could be older than the church, and might have been originally associated with the former quarry and / or the mission station on the site and later taken over and adapted by the Free Church. However this is purely speculative. The later addition of a lean-to is clearly of mid-late 20th c. date and was almost certainly for agricultural use.

The whole building is in a precarious state, with the SW gable on the point of collapse. We recommend that great caution is taken around this structure. We consider that this building has now been adequately recorded and no further work is recommended.

Feature 4: Modern Structure This is a mid-late 20th c. concrete built structure. Its use is unclear, but it appears to be of limited cultural heritage significance. No further archaeological fieldwork is recommended.

Appendix: Photography

Table 1 Photographs

Photo From Facing Showing No. (BFC14_) 1-2 CP1 NE Feature 2, Church from entrance 3-4 CP2 NW Feature 1 S wall, W side 5-9 CP3 NE Feature 1 SWall, E side 10 - N Feature 1S wall detail 11-12 CP4 NW Feature 2 Church 13-18 CP5 WNW Feature 2 Church E gable 19-22 CP6 S Feature 2 Church N side 23 - S Feature 2 Church detail of new square window on N side 24 - S Feature 2 Church N wall, E window 25-26 - S Feature 2 Church N wall entrance 27-28 CP7 E Feature 2 Church, W gable 29 - E Feature 2 Church W gable detail 30 - E Feature 2 Church W gable detail of wholes for sliding doors on N side 31-32 - E Feature 2 Church W gable new opening 33 - - Feature 2 Church W gable light fitting 34 - N View across site from SW Corner 35-42 - SE View across site from NW Corner 43-46 - SW View from NE corner 47-50 - NW View from SE corner 51 CP8 N Feature 2, Church S Profile 52 CP9 N Feature 3, School house S Gable 53 - - Feature 3, Plaster on inside of S gable window 54-55 CP10 W Feature 3, School house E Wall 56 CP11 W Feature 3, Extension 57 CP12 - Large roof slate from Feature 3 School house 58 - - Feature 3, Collapsed roof 59-61 - W Feature 3, Extension lean to

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014 Photo From Facing Showing No. (BFC14_) 62 - S Feature 3, Blocked in door / fire place, N gable 63-64 - E Feature 3, Lean too roof 65 CP12 E Feature 3, W wall school house 66 CP13 E Feature 3, Lean too W side 67 - E Feature 3, W wall, S window 68 - E Feature 3, W wall, N window 69-73 - S Feature 3, S gable inside 74-76 - N Feature 3, N gable inside 77-78 - E Feature 3, Door inside 79-83 - E Feature 3, E wall inside 84-87 - W Feature 3, W wall inside 88-90 CP14 SE Feature 4, W wall 91-92 CP15 NW Feature 4, S end 93 CP16 N Feature 4, S end 94-95 CP17 NE Feature 4, SW side 96 CP18 N Feature 4, Inside 97 - E Feature 4, Down pipe W wall 98 - SW Feature 4, detail of bars 99-167 - - Feature 2 Church for 3D model 168-234 - - Feature 3, school house for 3D model 235 - W Feature 2, Church detail of foundation step 236-237 - W Feature 2, Church Inside general 238-240 - E Feature 2, Church Inside General 241-246 - SE Feature 2, Church Inside General 247-249 - NW Feature 2, Church Inside General 250-251 - S Feature 2, Church SE door Inside 252 - N Feature 2, Church New square window N wall Inside 253 - N Feature 2, Church N wall new door 254 - N Feature 2, Church Small window above N door, inside 255-256 - S Feature 2, Church W window in S wall inside 257 - S Feature 2, Church W door in S wall, inside 258 - - Feature 2, Church Light fitting and ceiling / roof, inside 259-260 - E Feature 2, Church Roof Structure, inside 261 - NE Feature 2, Church square window in N wall, inside 262-263 - E Feature 2, Church Fire place in E gable, inside 264 - E Feature 2, Church Graphite on E Gable inside 265-266 - E Feature 2, Church E gable Inside with scale 267-268 - S Feature 2, Church E door in S wall 269 - W Feature 2, Church New door W gable 270 - S Feature 2, Church W window in S wall 271 - E Feature 2, Church Fire place in E gable.

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Figure 9: Camera Points

Figure 10: Rectified photo Feature 2 SW wall

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Figure 11: Rectified photo Feature 2 NE wall

Figure 12: Rectified Photo Feature 2 NW gable

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Figure 13: Photo with measurements SE gable (composite photograph, not rectified)

Figure 14: Rectified photo Feature 3 NE wall.

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Figure 15: Rectified photo Feature 3 SW gable

Figure 16: Feature 3 NW wall

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Figure 17 Free Church as existing: architect’s drawings Courtesy of Kraft Architecture

Bruan Free Church, Caithness: Report September 2014

Figure 18 School house as existing: architect's drawings Courtesy of Kraft Architecture