Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, at a gentle bend of a stream, overlooked by a hillock to SW, and by gently rising ground to W and NW.
This fulacht fia consists of a semi-circular mound (12m N–S; 9m E–W; H 0.5m above ground level at W, H c. 1m above stream bed at E) located on the W bank of the stream, with the central hollow of the mound facing the stream. The mound is largely sod-covered, but the E side has been eroded by the stream, exposing shattered sandstone fragments in a matrix of black, charcoal-rich soil. Roughly mid-way along the section face, trough timbers are visible at a depth of 0.9m below the top of the mound, protruding more or less at the level of the base of the stream channel. The timbers, which span a width of 1.5m and project only c. 0.005-0.012m from the section face, represent four contiguously laid horizontal planks lining the base of a trough. In the section face, the portion of the mound directly above the timbers is composed of peaty soil with a noticeably lower concentration of burnt stone, flanked to N and S by dense concentrations of burnt stone. A fragment of a hazelnut shell was visible in the mound material. Some burnt stone is also evident in section on the E bank of the stream.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 9 December 2020