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

  SM11437_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013966)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises two oval hut foundations, the footings of prehistoric or early historic houses between 4000 and 1000 years old. It lies in rough pasture on a shelf of flatish ground below a rocky knoll and overlooking a wide plain at the top of a larger valley, with the remains of several prehistoric hut circles, fields and clearance cairns situated on the slope below.

The first hut measures 8.6 m from NNW to SSE by 6.9 m transversely within a wall 2.5 m in thickness and 0.5 m in height. The entrance is on the SE and the interior is dug into the slope on the NW. The second hut measures 9.2 m from N to S by 7.2 m transversely within a wall reduced to a stony bank spread to 1.8 m in thickness and 0.3 m in height. The entrance is on the WSW and occasional inner and outer facing stones are visible along the line of the bank.

The area to be scheduled is a clipped rectangle on plan, to include the huts and an area around in which evidence for their construction and use may survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. The scheduled area excludes the fence on its S edge.

Statement of National Importance

Cultural Significance

The monument's archaeological significance can be expressed as follows:

Intrinsic characteristics: The monument is composed of relatively well-preserved examples of a rare, pronounced, oval hut shape. Several other examples are located 800 m to the ENE, yet these are distinct from the circular hut foundations found nearby and which are common throughout the region. This difference in shape may indicate a difference in date or function. They survive as upstanding features and subsequent beneficial landuse as pasture has probably resulted in the preservation of further archaeological deposits within and immediately outside the visible structures. These buildings therefore have the potential to reveal further information about their date and/or local variations in domestic architecture and building use, as well as upland landuse.

Contextual characteristics: Archaeologists have identified oval buildings elsewhere in the Highlands as Late Iron Age or early medieval in date. Structures dating from this period have generally proved extremely hard to identify anywhere in Scotland. Alternatively, oval buildings may have been a localised reaction to cultural or environmental stimuli which caused or necessitated this variance from the contemporary, normal, prehistoric round house tradition. This monument is then a particularly rare example of a local or period type. It has the potential to reveal much about the attitudes to house building and living in houses of later prehistoric/early historic communities within and outside the region, and has the ability to inform future research into regional identities, differing lifestyles, economies and belief systems.

National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it is a well-preserved example of a rare regional and national house type. It has the potential to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the date of these structures as well as informing about later prehistoric or early historic upland landuse, settlement, house forms and uses, and society, both in this locality and, by association, the rest of Scotland. The loss of this rare and well-preserved example would severely affect upon our future ability to understand these issues.

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.