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

  SM10974_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013811)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a tall, extensive, grass-covered mound on the northern shore of South Walls. The highest point of the mound is highly likely to represent the central area of a substantial broch and numerous, but ill-defined, surface features on the outer slopes of the mound may represent contemporary or later buildings. Such monuments are usually of Iron Age date. The height to which the monument survives is unusual and is interpreted as indicating that much of the original architecture may survive. At some later and presumably relatively recent date, two stone-lined boat noosts have been built into the north-western edge of the mound.

The monument comprises a broad lower terrace, varying in height from 6m to 7m OD, from which a much less extensive cone-shaped mound rises to a height of approximately 9m OD. The lower terrace is almost triangular on plan but has been truncated on its southern margin by the present road, along its northern margin by the present-day shore-line and along its western margin by the garden of the adjacent house. The cone-shaped mound lies within the eastern half of the lower terrace and close to the northern edge of the monument. Today, this mound is roughly circular on plan, with a diameter of approximately 15m at its base but, as it also bears clear evidence of substantial loss through coastal erosion on its northern arc, its surviving form may be happenstance.The summit of the mound is slightly depressed and some small exposures of coursed stonework are visible amongst dense vegetation. It is reasonable to interpret this feature as the remains of a substantial and extensive stone building or group of buildings. Previous visitors to the site have recorded exposures of midden material in the eroding shore-line. Two stone-lined noosts (boat stances) have been inserted into the mound on its north-eastern aspect. The lowest point in each noost is less than 0.5m above the present beach. It seems likely, therefore, that their construction and use relate to a fairly recent shoreline and these features are not contemporary with the most of the fabric of the mound. The monument was extensively quarried in 1812 to build the adjacent house. It was excavated in 1887 with the result that much of the interior was probably cleared out. The whole area of the monument is covered by rank grasses and herbs and appears to have been little grazed in recent years.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan with maximum dimensions of 100m WNW-ESE by 44m NE-SW, to include the mound and the boat noosts. The area is bounded on the SW by the mortared stone boundary wall which forms the property boundary to the adjacent modern dwelling, on the SE by the northern edge of the cutting of the B9047 and on the NE, N and NW by the junction of the southern edge of the shingle storm beach and the foot of the steep, almost vertical northern margin of the mound, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. Post-and-wire fencing has been erected along both the road cutting and the shore and is located, in both cases, along the upper edge of the truncated mound. The post and wire fencing and the mortared stone wall are excluded from scheduling to allow for their maintenance. The upper 30cm of the road-side verge is also excluded from scheduling to allow for its maintenance.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as the remains of a substantial prehistoric building or buildings and associated midden sediments. Although coastal erosion, road construction, house building and archaeological excavation will all have removed or disturbed much of the structure of the stone buildings of the monument, the extensive area that remains retains a very considerable potential to provide important information about prehistoric, most probably Iron Age and later, settlement and economy.

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.