| Summary: | The monument includes an extensive area of prehistoric remains at the N end of the island. The remains consist of hut circles, relict field walls, small enclosures or stock pounds and burial cairns. In addition, one of the largest cairns has a Civil War lookout hut set on top of it. At the S end of the settlement are the foundations of a C19 summer house set among the field walls.The settlement remains extend from the N end of the Trinity House track for 480m to the S and are 350m from E to W at the widest point. There are 2 groups of remains. The N group consists of a large hut circle, 15m in diam and one large cairn, 20m in diam, 80m to SE. Four smaller cairns are adjacent to this cairn on its S side. The S group of remains has a cairn to the N of an area of hut circles and relict walls which extends over the width of the island. There are 5 hut circle complexes, each with an annexe or attached enclosure. Field walls link the settlements and in the S half of the area is a series of terraces which were enclosed by low walls. Two of these hut circles have been part excavated in the past and bronze age pottery found at each site. The largest cairn in the N section has a stone hut foundation set into the top which measures 8m by 4m. This is thought to have been set up as a lookout during the fortification of the island during the civil war. It is now known as John O'Groat's House (see SS14NW/36).
One of the southernmost terraces support the remains of the foundations of a summer house built by the heaven family who owned the island during the 19c. This terrace is 23m long and overlooks Gannets' Combe. Associated with the settlement is a detached hut circle 300m to the SE which is the subject of a separate scheduling. |
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