Documents

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The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM11510_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600014001)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a defended hilltop enclosure of prehistoric date, visible as cropmarks on oblique aerial photographs and as field remains. It is situated at the summit of the Hill of Newleslie, 270m above sea level, and lies 400m N of the farmstead of Cotetown.

The monument consists of an oval enclosure measuring 375m E-W by 170m transversely. Defined by a bank and internal ditch with a second external bank intermittently visible, it encloses over 4ha, making it one of the largest defended enclosures in the region. The internal bank and ditch are traceable on the aerial photographs and are visible on the ground on the N and SW sides of the enclosure. The bank and ditch are most clear to the E of the northern side of the enclosure. Here the bank measures up to 0.5m and the ditch is 0.3m in depth. This ditch was possibly excavated through bedrock on the eastern side. However, it is also possible that this is a natural outcrop that has been used intentionally to form the edge of the enclosure. The external bank is only visible on the NE and SE side of the enclosure. Any upstanding remains on the SW side of the enclosure have been removed by ploughing and re-seeding in recent years. There is no visible entrance.

Hill top enclosures of this type are characteristic of the Iron Age. There is still much debate over their use, but it could conceiveably be a defended settlement. However, the size of the enclosure and its unusual shape could be indicative of some sort of animal enclosure or trading centre, such as a market place.

The area to be scheduled is an oval that includes the remains described and an area around them within which evidence related to their construction and use may be found, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. Any part of the existing above-ground fencing is excluded from scheduling.

Statement of National Importance

The monument's historical significance can be expressed under two headings:

Intrinsic characteristics: the monument is unexcavated and is one of the largest hilltop enclosures in the region. Therefore it has considerable potential to enhance understanding of the use and nature of defended hilltop settlements and enclosures in NE Scotland, particularly Strathdon.

Contextual characteristics: as one of the largest hilltop enclosures in the region, the site is a rare example and adds great value to its type and class of monument. It lies within a rich prehistoric landscape and is situated to the SW of other defended prehistoric hilltops (the Hill of Dunnideer hillfort, 4km to the NE, and the hill-top enclosure on the Hill of Newleslie, 2.75km to the NE). This setting is integral to the understanding of the monument in its landscape.

National Importance: this monument is of national importance because it has an inherent potential to make a significant addition to the understanding of defended hilltop enclosures and settlements of the prehistoric period in NE Scotland. The loss or damage of this monument would significantly diminish the capacity of the class to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric Scotland, as well as the surrounding landscape.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.