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

  SM3403_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600002903)

Summary

Description

The monument is the buried remains of a henge and a timber circle, which are Neolithic or early Bronze Age ceremonial structures probably dating to between around 3100 BC and 1700 BC. The monument is visible as cropmarks recorded on oblique aerial photographs and occupies an area of relatively level ground, at around 20m above sea level.

The henge is defined by an outer bank and inner ditch measuring up to 4m and 5m in width respectively, enclosing an area 27m in diameter. A single entrance gap is visible on the west and the buried remains of a timber circle measuring about 7m east-west by 5m transversely have been identified within the interior of the henge.

The scheduled area is sub-circular on plan, measuring 60m in diameter, to include 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. The monument was first scheduled in 1973, but the documentation does not meet current standards: the present amendment rectifies this.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to make a significant addition to understanding of ceremony and ritual during the Neolithic period. It is likely that deposits survive in the ditch, within and beneath the remnants of the upcast bank and within the postholes of the timber circle that can help us understand the chronology, development and function of such monuments. The presence of a small timber circle within the henge, which is likely to pre-date the construction of the henge ditch and bank, combined with the evidence for multi-phased activity from excavations of henge monuments elsewhere, indicate this monument is likely to have had an extended developmental sequence. Henge monuments and timber circles are a key sources of evidence for the Neolithic/early Bronze Age in Scotland, and can enhance our understanding of Neolithic/early Bronze Age society and economy, as well as the nature of ceremony, ritual and belief systems. They would have been an important component of the wider prehistoric landscape of settlement, agriculture and ritual. The loss of the monument would diminish our ability to appreciate and understand the meaning and importance of ceremony and ritual during the Neolithic/early Bronze Age and the placing of henge monuments within the landscape.

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.