Scheduled Monument

The Common, settlement 400m SE ofSM2861

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
19/12/1969
Last Date Amended
10/12/2001
Type
Prehistoric domestic and defensive: settlement (if not assigned to any more specific type)
Local Authority
Scottish Borders
Parish
Innerleithen
NGR
NT 33789 39275
Coordinates
333789, 639275

Description

The monument is an enclosed settlement, a form of farmstead or hamlet dating from the later prehistoric period. The monument was originally scheduled in 1969, but the area covered by the designation was not properly defined. The current rescheduling rectifies this.

The monument sits at around 250m OD, on a steep W slope of Priesthope Hill overlooking the Leithen Water. The settlement is defined by a roughly oval enclosure wall which has been greatly reduced by stone robbing. A gap on the S side of the enclosure wall may indicate the site of the original entrance. The enclosure measures approximately 46m NE-SW by 40m transversely. The steep nature of the site has lead to the interior being divided into three tiered areas. Up to nine building platforms have been recorded within the settlement, but it is not known whether these were in contemporary use.

The area to be scheduled is an oval 54m E-W by 67m N-S centred on the settlement, as shown in red on the attached map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of later prehistoric settlement and economy. The relationship between this site and a number of other later prehistoric settlements of different form in the immediate vicinity is of particular interest.

References

Bibliography

The monument is recorded in the RCAHMS as NT 33 NW 15.

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.

Images

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Printed: 28/07/2025 08:55