Hut site, Málainn Bhig, Co. Donegal

Co. Donegal |

Settlement Sites

Hut site, Málainn Bhig, Co. Donegal

On the southeast facing slopes of Leahan Mountain in County Donegal, a remarkable cluster of ancient hut sites tells the story of a mountain settlement that once thrived in this remote landscape.

The site occupies a poorly drained valley covered in rushes and heather, where a small river cuts through the rough pasture. From here, the Atlantic Ocean stretches out to the south whilst the dramatic cliffs of Slieve League dominate the western horizon.

This particular hut site at Málainn Bhig forms part of an intriguing arrangement of five conjoined rectangular structures aligned northeast to southwest. The fourth hut from the southwestern end reveals itself as a modest square chamber, measuring roughly 2.4 metres by 2.36 metres internally, with walls nearly a metre thick though standing only 40 centimetres high today. Built using drystone construction techniques, the walls survive as low mounds covered in heather, still showing two to four courses of stonework. Curiously, archaeologists have found no obvious entrance, leaving questions about how the inhabitants accessed this space.

The hut sits within a dense concentration of similar structures that appear to form a clustered settlement, with at least twenty other hut sites identified in the immediate area. Just ten metres to the southwest lies a circular hut site connected to the main group, whilst another rectangular structure stands ten metres to the south. Together, these ruins paint a picture of a substantial community that once called these windswept mountain slopes home, likely taking advantage of the mountain stream for water and the surrounding rough pasture for grazing animals.

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Pete F
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