Description
The monument is a well-preserved cairn situated on a sloping hillside above the River Findhorn, 760m NW of the buildings at Woodend.
The circular cairn measures 6.4m in diameter, about 0.5m in height, with nine intermittent kerb-stones visible around its perimeter. At its centre an exposed open cist survives, formed with four slabs set on edge. The cist is orientated E to W, and internally measures 1.2m in length, 0.6m in width at the W and 0.5m in width at the E, and 0.5m deep. Neither a capstone nor skeletal/artefact remains are visible in the cist. The W edge of the cairn is less disturbed by vegetation growth than the E side.
The area to be scheduled is circular on plan, centred on the cairn, to include the remains described and an area around it within which evidence relating to 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: A well-preserved cairn with a central cist, this monument can add a great deal of information to our understanding of burial cairns, in particular their structure and association with the immediate landscape. Cairns of this type date from the Bronze Age, between 3500 and 4000 years ago. Situated on a grouse moor surrounded by blanket peat and heather moorland, a lack of intensive land use combined with an awareness of the monument appears to have benefited its survival.
Funerary remains potentially exist within the mound, which would enhance our understanding of Bronze Age burial practices. Given the good level of preservation, there is a likelihood that deposits relating to the prehistoric environment, such as an old ground surface, will be preserved beneath and within the cairn.
Contextual characteristics: The cairn lies on a false crest overlooking the River Findhorn, and is in view of three possible prehistoric hut circles and an associated field system. The association of the cairn with the wider prehistoric landscape may reveal information that can facilitate our understanding of prehistoric identity and society. The potential for an integrated analysis of a variety of possibly contemporary monument types is high, and the cairn can play a key role in such a study.
Associative characteristics: Being in a prominent position on a false crest, the deliberate positioning of the monument adds an aesthetic attribute to its overall significance. Prehistoric people deliberately built the cairn to look over a landscape, as well as to be seen from within it.
National Importance: The monument is of national importance because it is a well-preserved example of a largely undisturbed Bronze Age burial cairn with central stone-lined cist which is situated within a possible contemporary landscape. It has the potential to add value to our understanding of the monument site type as a whole, as well as the relationship of this site to its class. The capacity exists for this monument to form the key part of an integrated landscape study. Its loss would harm our ability to understand the placing of such monuments within the landscape, as well as our knowledge of cairn structure and funerary rites.