Documents

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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

  SM5962_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600011858)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises the caves to the S of King's Cave, in which stone settings and a carving, probably of Norse date, have recently been discovered.

The first major cave to the S of King's Cave has a central stone pillar, to the N of which is a large stone setting. Almost circular on plan, it measures about 13m internally within a low stone wall (about 1m wide) reveted on its inner and outer faces by substantial boulders. The smaller cave, further to the S, also contains a (smaller) sub-circular stone setting (about 5m across) which has been built into the S end of the cave. There is a local tradition that a glass-worker lived in one of the caves, and that these stone settings are associated, but they may be of considerably greater antiquity, if not prehistoric. On the N side of the southernmost cave, at the junction of the cave wall and floor, an interlace carving of late

first millennium date has recently been discovered. It is similar to carvings found in King's Cave.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan and measures up to 90m from N to S by 30m transversely, to include the caves and an area outside them in which associated remains may survive, as marked in red on the attached map extract.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance because the caves have been used for a variety of activities over several thousand years. The stone settings, carvings and probable undisturbed floor deposits have the potential to provide information about this activity and its relationship to the activity in nearby King's Cave, which contains extensive Early Christian and medieval carvings, and is likely to have been, at one time, an anchorite's cell.

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.