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

  SM4338_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600015541)

Summary

Description

The monument is a burial cairn, of circular platform type, which is likely to date from the late Iron Age or Early Historic period (200 to 900 AD). The cairn is visible as a mound of exposed stone with coursed edging in places. It is located on the crest of a terrace at around 110m above sea level, on gently sloping moorland which runs east southeast to the coast some 1.5km distant.

The cairn is circular on plan and measures approximately 3.5m in diameter and 0.5m in height. It is partly obscured by heather and peat but previous records show that the edging of the cairn survives, with up to three courses of stonework visible in places. The cairn, like other platform cairns, was constructed by building a low level band of coursed stonework which was then infilled with rubble or further stonework. A large stone, approximately 1m long, lying close to the centre of the cairn could be a fallen central standing stone – a common feature of barrows and cairns from this period. In 1977, a Pictish symbol stone was found, in two pieces, at the cairn. The larger section of the symbol stone was found close to the cairn with the smaller section lying directly on top of the cairn.

The scheduled area is circular on plan, centred on the monument and measures 13.5m in diameter. The scheduled area 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. The monument was first scheduled in 1981, but the documentation did 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 our knowledge and understanding of the past, particularly the design and construction of burial monuments, and the nature of belief systems and burial practices during the late Iron Age and Early Historic periods. The monument is a circular platform cairn which is an uncommon type of cairn, and it demonstrates very good field characteristics, including what may be a fallen central standing stone. This evidence enables us to interpret the cairn's form, function and position in the landscape. The monument is likely to have buried archaeological remains, including burials, artefacts and palaeoenvironmental evidence. The cairn is one of a small number of similar cairns in Scotland where Pictish symbol stones have been found. This co-occurrence of a symbol stone and cairn means that this monument is important for our understanding of Pictish society and culture, including the use of symbol stones. There are numerous other cairns in the vicinity of the monument, which together can contribute to our understanding of late Iron Age and early Historic society, its organisation, economy, religion and demography. The loss of the monument would significantly diminish our future ability to appreciate and understand funerary practice, death and burial in prehistoric and Early Historic times, and the placing of such 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.