Scheduled Monument

Burgh of Rattray, St Mary's Chapel and Castle Hill, Old RattraySM3303

Status: Designated

Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

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.

Summary

Date Added
05/12/1973
Last Date Amended
23/02/1998
Supplementary Information Updated
18/06/2018
Type
Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; chapel, Secular: burgh, including deserted burgh; castle; kiln; pill box
Local Authority
Aberdeenshire
Parish
Crimond
NGR
NK 08630 57694
Coordinates
408630, 857694

Description

The monument comprises the site of the deserted burgh of Rattray, including the remains of the medieval chapel of St Mary and the site of the castle.

The castle site and chapel were originally scheduled independently in 1973. However, excavations undertaken between 1985 and 1990 have established that considerable remains of the deserted burgh exist in the fields lying either side of the road leading to Old Rattray farm. The present rescheduling includes all those areas in which archaeological remains are known to lie.

The town of Rattray was probably first laid out sometime in the 13th century by one of its Comyn lords. The chapel of St Mary, dated architecturally to the first third of that century and referred to in 1214x33, seems likely to have been part of the original establishment. The town was granted its one and only burgh charter, making it a royal burgh, from Mary, queen of Scots, on 6 March 1563/4. However, only 8 residents were recorded in 1561, and it seems that the principal reason for granting the charter was to settle a dispute between the Hays, earls of Errol, and the Keiths, Earls Marischal, over the lordship of the town and its lands. By 1696 the site was occupied by only 4 families of fisherfolk.

St Mary's Chapel is roofless with a simple rectangular plan, measuring 13.8m by 5.65m within walls 0.85-1.0m thick. The gable walls are steeply pitched, that on the E containing 3 stepped rounded-arched windows, that on the W a single window. The side walls are mostly reduced in height, with remains of opposing doorways located some 2m from the west end.

Castle Hill is a naturally prominent sand dune, measuring some 60 x 70m and c.6m higher than the surrounding field. Excavations have revealed that its initial defences, constructed in the late 12th century, included a ditch around the base and a bank around the top perimeter. Occupation lasted until the mid or late 15th century. During WWII a concrete pill-box was built on the north-east side of the hill.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan, with maximal dimensions of 690m SW-NE by 360m NW-SE, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The scheduling is to exclude the eastern extension to the cemetery surrounding St Mary's chapel and the walls around it, and the farm buildings of Old Rattray farm and the walls surrounding them. The upper 30cm of the surface of the public road within the area is also excluded from scheduling to allow for its maintenance.

References

Bibliography

No Bibliography entries for this designation

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.

Images

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Printed: 29/03/2024 12:17