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.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM9245_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013479)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a circular burial cairn, three certain hut circles, a further four possible hut circles and a cairnfield, all surviving within woodland as upstanding monuments. The substantial burial cairn, comprised entirely of stones, is over 20m in diameter and stands more than 2m high. There are signs of previous disturbance, especially on its top surface, but there is no evidence of a chamber.

A hut circle lies 15m ESE of the burial cairn. It measures 10m in diameter, within walls up to 0.6m high, and there is a marked hollowing of the interior. It has been damaged along its N-S axis by ploughing prior to afforestation some 50 years ago. A further possible hut circle lies immediately SSW of the first one. This group of monuments lies on a moderate NW-facing slope at an altitude of c.170m OD.

Some 250m SE of the burial cairn, there is a substantial stone-walled enclosure, probably another hut circle, nearly 20m in diameter. One other smaller hut circle lies some 60m to the N, and another three possible hut circles lie scattered among the woods further to the north. Traces of rig-and-furrow cultivation can be seen in the vicinity of these hut circles. This group of monuments is situated on a moderate SW-facing slope at an altitude of between c.150m and 180m OD.

The burial cairn lies on the northern edge of an extensive cairnfield. The hut circles lie within the cairnfield, with the largest one on its south-eastern edge. Recent survey has revealed a minimum of 150 small cairns, of varying size but generally up to 3m in diameter and up to 0.3 to 0.5m high.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan, with maximum dimensions of about 470m SW-NE by 370m W-E. It includes the visible upstanding monuments and an area around them within which related remains might be expected to survive. This area is marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a rare example in this area of a fragment of prehistoric landscape, with settlement remains (the hut circles), a funerary monument (the burial cairn) and an ancient field system (the cairnfield) surviving as upstanding monuments in association with each other. The monument has the potential to provide important information about Bronze Age funerary rites, domestic architecture, economy and land-use.

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.