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

  SM4524_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600010439)

Summary

Description

The monument is a well preserved settlement, including at least eight circular house stances measuring between 6m and 9m in diameter, and its associated field system (comprising numerous banks and clearance cairns). There is also a burial cairn measuring 10m in diameter. The area to be scheduled measures a maximum of 850m ESE-WNW and 410m transversely, to include the settlement, the field system, the burial cairn and an area around and between the separate visible elements in which traces of the construction and use of the monument will survive. Modern structures in the area, including the enclosed garden of Bellmuir Cottage, tracks and modern fences and walls are specifically excluded from the scheduling.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a settlement and field system of the Bronze Age, some 3000 years old, which has the potential to enhance considerable our understanding of prehistoric settlement and agriculture. It is of particular importance because it is very well preserved (the complex field system especially) and because so little settlement of this antiquity survives in lowland areas, undamaged by more recent agriculture. Further, the burial mounds within this monument and to the NE offer an opportunity, to study the relationship between life and death in the Bronze Age. This small section of the prehistoric landscape, preserved by chance on this area of unimproved ground, is of considerable importance and offers future scholarship major opportunities to elucidate the nature and development of land use in prehistory.

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.