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

  SM5489_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600011389)

Summary

Description

The monument consists of the remains of the sixteenth-century towerhouse described on the map as "Castle of Findochty" but locally known as "Findochty" or "House of Findochty". The building, 40m S of Findochty Mains, is situated on a slightly raised rocky platform that has traces of a retaining wall on the S. Findochty was formerly at the W end of a small Loch, now drained.

The towerhouse originally extended further E, but a single-storeyed extension incorporating part of the enclosing N wall and masonry from the towerhouse has replaced the easternmost part. The three-storey, L-shaped towerhouse has a square stair-tower projecting from the N wall with the re-entrant angle in the NW. The ruined towerhouse stands to a height of c.8m and measures 10.8m N-S by 5.1m E-W (the extension projects 10.1m from the E wall and is 6.1m N-S). The harled rubble walls of the towerhouse are 0.85m thick.

The dressings, now badly weathered, are in roughly tooled sandstone. The hall has been on the first floor above a vaulted undercroft which presumably held the kitchen. The ground-floor entrance with relieving arch is in the S wall. In the W wall of the undercroft is a large fireplace. Part of a courtyard wall projects 1.5m from the NE corner of the extension. It reappears as a stretch of foundation 8.5m to the E and is visible for approximately 11m.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan, and includes the castle and associated boundary walls, measuring a maximum of 70m ENE- WSW by 40m NNW-SSE, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it is an example, albeit reduced, of a simple defensive residence first mentioned in 1568 which provides evidence and has the potential to provide further evidence, through excavation, for domestic architecture, social organisation, rural settlement and material culture in Scotland during the late medieval/early modern period.

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.