Keepers Cottage, The Mound

The site comprises a 6-arched bridge with a keeper’s cottage, constructed between 1815 and 18, with later alterations in 1837 by Joseph Mitchell. The bridge is built of rubble with dressed rubble arch rings and a parapet, featuring triangular cutwaters on the north side. Each arch is fitted with flood-gates and hoisting gear, and a small winch house flanks each side of the bridge.

The keeper’s cottage is a single-storey, 3-bay building with a prominent, gabled central bay. The entrance is located within a recessed angle, sheltered by a porch. The cottage is harled with tooled ashlar margins, and features a hoodmoulded tripartite window in the centre gable, with similar bipartites in the outer bays. Some small-pane glazing remains, along with paired ridge stacks and a slate roof with projecting joisted eaves.

The area is defined by a 1,000-yard-long eastern mound connecting to the north bank. The flood-gates within the bridge retain water as the tide rises and allow fresh water to escape as the tide recedes, now operated by an engine. The original bridge was four arches, and two further arches were added in 1837. The project incurred a significant cost of $12,500, shared between the County of Sutherland ($8,000), Lord Gower, and Parliamentary Commissioners. The drainage of approximately 400 acres of previously submerged land was a key objective. The Strathfleet area is closed by this mound.