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South Yarrows is a hut circle and kiln barn located in Caithness, Scotland, approximately 450 metres west of the village of Yarrows. The monument comprises the remains of a prehistoric roundhouse alongside a later agricultural structure used for grain drying and storage. The site occupies bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a diverse sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian period, which here provides a naturally well-drained foundation for settlement.
The hut circle represents a domestic dwelling typical of Iron Age or early medieval communities in northern Scotland, while the kiln barn reflects subsequent agricultural intensification and the processing of cereal crops. This juxtaposition of structures across different periods illustrates how this locality remained economically valuable through successive phases of use. The underlying geology—varied sandstone and siltstone—would have supported both arable farming on its more weathered soils and pastoral activities on the surrounding moorland characteristic of upland Caithness.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduled monument reference SM612, recognising its significance to understanding the archaeology and settlement patterns of the far north.
South Yarrows, hut circle and kiln barn 450m W of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM612. View the official record →
South Yarrows is a hut circle and kiln barn located in Caithness, Scotland, approximately 450 metres west of the village of Yarrows. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM612.
South Yarrows, hut circle and kiln barn 450m W of is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM612.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists (2.5 km), Broughwhin, cairn and stone row 190m NW of Groat's Loch (2.6 km), Cairn Hanach,chambered cairn S side of Warehouse Hill (2.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of South Yarrows, hut circle and kiln barn 450m W of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
South Yarrows, hut circle and kiln barn 450m W of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.