Loch Benachally is a large shallow freshwater reservoir that is located close to the Forest of

Clunie Clunie is a small settlement in Perthshire, Scotland, west of Blairgowrie. It lies on the western shore of the Loch of Clunie. History Near the village on a small hill are the foundations of an early defensive settlement. The fortificati ...

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. It is bordered by Highland (council area), Highland and Aberdeenshire to the north, Angus, Scotland, Angus, Dundee, and F ...

, Scotland. The reservoir is operated by

Scottish Water Scottish Water is a statutory corporation that provides water and sewerage services across Scotland. It is accountable to the public through the Scottish Government. Operations Scottish Water provides drinking water to 2.46 million households a ...

Iron Age villages

Directly south-east of the reservoir are the remains of an

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

hut circle In archaeology, a hut circle is a circular or oval depression in the ground which may or may not have a low stone wall around it that used to be the foundation of a round house. The superstructure of such a house would have been made of timber an ...

settlement and field system, centred on , that can clearly be seen from an aerial view. The settlement consisted of a line of 6 hut circles connected by a common baulk, with an isolated hut about to the east. The huts range from down to between wall centres. Some huts have stone enclosures. The field system of the Iron Age settlement has been visibly preserved down the ages and is marked with the remains of

lynchet A lynchet or linchet is an Terrace (earthworks), earth terrace found on the side of a hill. Lynchets are a feature of ancient field systems of the British Isles. They are commonly found in vertical rows and more commonly referred to as "strip lyn ...

s, walls and heaps of cleared stone. As the huts are in a straight line, they resemble a street. The conspicuousness of the "street" is enhanced by a wall which runs parallel to the row of houses, to the south. To the east-north-east of the Loch Benachally directly from the dam at the very south of the loch, is another Iron Age hut circle settlement and field system. Here as well, the field system is easily recognisable. The hut circle settlement follows a north-west to south-east orientation and is a larger settlement with 12 hut circles. The huts measure from down to between wall centres. There are two fields—a large field to the north and west of the hut circle group, and a small field to the south.

References

{{Reflist Benachally Benachally Tay catchment Birdwatching sites in Scotland