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

  SM13523_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600014523)

Summary

Description

The monument is a prehistoric burial monument dating probably to the 2nd millennium BC (Bronze Age). It appears to be a bowl barrow with an external ditch and bank, which is a rare form of burial monument in Scotland. The barrow survives as a prominent, circular, grass-covered mound, built mainly of earth but with some stone visible in its sides. The central mound, which probably contains one or more burials, is approximately 9m in diameter and stands 1.5m high. It is surrounded by a ditch, approximately 3m wide, and an external bank approximately 3.5m wide and standing up to 0.9m high. The ditch and bank are well-defined around the NW, SW and SE sides, but the bank has been disturbed by later activity around its NE arc. A causeway which crosses the ditch on the W side of the barrow, linking the central mound and the outer bank, is probably a later addition, perhaps associated with a nearby Improvement period farmstead. The monument is situated on a large glacial drumlin at the head of a glen, at around 220m above sea level, with extensive views to the SW, SE and NE.

The scheduled area is circular on plan, 40m in diameter, centred on the barrow. It includes the remains described above and an area around them within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a prehistoric burial mound with an inherent potential to make a significant addition to our understanding of the past, particularly the design and construction of burial monuments, the nature of burial practices, and their significance in Bronze Age and later society. The Urchany barrow is particularly important as it appears to be a well-preserved, rare type of burial monument - a bowl barrow with its distinctive field characteristics - a type of barrow more commonly associated with ritual and funerary landscapes in Wessex. It has high potential to add to our understanding of differing forms of burial monument and practices during the Bronze Age. The monument has an inherent potential to contribute to our understanding of the form, function and distribution of Bronze Age burial monuments, which are an important part of Highland's prehistoric landscape. The loss of this monument would significantly diminish our ability to appreciate and understand the placing of such monuments within the landscape and the meaning and importance placed on of death and burial in prehistoric times.

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.