Scheduled Monument
Tuach Hill, stone circle and enclosure 130m SW of Gallow TopSM50
Status: Designated
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.
Summary
- Date Added
- 31/08/1925
- Last Date Amended
- 29/08/1996
- Type
- Prehistoric ritual and funerary: enclosure (ritual or funerary rather than defensive or domestic); henge; stone circle or ring
- Local Authority
- Aberdeenshire
- Parish
- Kintore
- NGR
- NJ 79568 15458
- Coordinates
- 379568, 815458
Description
The monument comprises a scoop in the SW facing hillside, overlooking a long burial mound, bounded by an enclosing ditch with an external bank. Within the enclosed area are the remains of a stone circle or setting; only one stone is now upright. The enclosed area measures 7.3m across within the ditch, which is c. 3.6m wide. Antiquarian digging in the 19th century revealed traces of human burial.
The area to be scheduled is a wedge shape, bounded by the field fences (which are specifically excluded from the scheduling) on the S and E, measuring a maximum of 40m SW-NE and 48m NW-SE, to include the visible remains and any other traces of the use of the site that may survive in the area, as marked in red on the accompanying map.
Statement of National Importance
The monument is of national importance as a ceremonial and burial monument of the prehistoric period. It is possibly a henge monument. Its siting and characteristics are very unusual, and, in an area where few henges survive it has the potential to enhance considerably our understanding of later Neolithic and early Bronze Age ceremonial and burial activity.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
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.
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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).
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