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

  SM1464_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600004212)

Summary

Description

The monument is a broch mound dating probably from the Iron Age (between around 600 BC and AD 400). The monument is visible as part of a substantial circular mound, with around two-thirds of the mound (the NW portion) surviving as upstanding remains today. To the SE the mound has been robbed of material, but the footings of the broch and related deposits are expected to survive as buried remains. The upstanding turf-covered mound measures approximately 50m NE-SW by 25m transversely and stands up to 1.5m high. An excavation in 1935 revealed a substantial wall and passageway. The upstanding part of the broch mound is located in an area of unimproved ground used for rough grazing, enclosed by a stone dyke that runs NE-SW across the monument and NW-SE along the edge of the mound. The buried remains of the SE part of the broch lie in a ploughed field. The broch mound is located on a SW-facing slope overlooking the Loch of Harray, at about 45m above sea level. The monument was first scheduled in 1937, but the documentation did not meet modern standards: the present rescheduling rectifies this.

The scheduled area is irregular on plan and includes the remains described above and an area around them within which evidence relating to the monument's use and re-use is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. The scheduling specifically excludes the above-ground elements of the stone dykes to allow for their maintenance.

Statement of National Importance

This monument is of national importance because it has an inherent potential to make a significant addition to our understanding of the past, in particular of Iron Age society in Orkney and the function, use and development of brochs. Despite the disturbance to the SE portion, the broch mound has high potential to support future archaeological research. The mound contains the remains of a broch tower, which is highly likely to retain its structural characteristics to a marked degree. A substantial wall and passageway was recorded as being visible during an excavation in 1935 and the mound is expected to contain the remains of structural features typical of brochs, including scarcement ledges and intramural stairs and cells, together with buried deposits rich in occupation debris, artefacts and palaeoenvironmental evidence. The monument's importance is enhanced by its position in a landscape rich in archaeological remains overlooking the Loch of Harray and beyond to the important Neolithic remains of in the area. The loss of the monument would significantly diminish our ability to appreciate and understand the development, use and function of brochs, and the nature of Iron Age society, economy and social hierarchy, in Orkney and further afield.

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.