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

  SM11493_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013988)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a later prehistoric fort. It lies on the rocky summit of an isolated hill within a broad river valley.

The fort consists of a sub-oval stone wall of large blocks measuring 2-3 m wide and standing between 0.3 and 1 m high. This encloses an area measuring 66 m from NE-SW by 36 m transversely, with an entrance on the SSW side. The wall accentuates the natural lines of defence; a gap exists in the NE where there is a precipitous rock face. A secondary wall of facing stones surrounds the western half of the entrance.

The area to be scheduled is an irregular polygon on plan, to include the fort and an area around in which evidence for its construction and use may survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

Cultural Significance

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

Intrinsic characteristics: Subsequent landuse as pasture means that there is a high potential for the survival of archaeological deposits associated with this monument. There is a likelihood that evidence will remain of the structures built here and the activities undertaken. This can provide information on the form, date and longevity of occupation at this fort, as well as the life-style, economy, status and culture of its occupants.

Contextual characteristics: The prominence of this crag within a wide, open landscape means that this monument would have formed a significant and imposing part of the landscape in later prehistory, and would have attracted settlement through the need for defence and/or display. Settlement may have been intermittent and temporary or of a more permanent nature, and some forts were re-occupied in the early historic period. If such later occupation did take place, the location of a possible chapel site in the vicinity may suggest an interesting relationship between local ecclesiastical and secular powers.

Associative characteristics: The placename roughly translates as 'rock of the boar'. This may suggest a conceptual association between the inhabitants of some high status, later prehistoric sites and certain types of animals.

National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it is a well-preserved example of a poorly understood monument type. It could have formed a significant part of the landscape from the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age through to the end of the early Middle Ages, and been a central place for local communities and emerging chiefdoms in the need for defence, communal events and the demonstration and display of status. The loss of this monument would detract from a future ability to interpret the surrounding landscape and the nature of the societies that occupied it in later prehistory and early history. It loss would also impact on our ability to understand the date and nature of occupation of forts throughout Scotland.

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.