Scheduled Monument
Ballochan,hut circles 350m ENE ofSM6081
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
- 10/10/1994
- Supplementary Information Updated
- 16/07/2018
- Type
- Prehistoric domestic and defensive: field clearance cairn, cairnfield; hut circle, roundhouse
- Local Authority
- Aberdeenshire
- Parish
- Birse
- NGR
- NO 52750 90581
- Coordinates
- 352750, 790581
Description
The monument comprises three hut circles and a group of clearance cairns, probably of the later prehistoric period, situated close to the N bank of the Water of Feugh.
The easternmost hut circle measures about 15m in diameter with the wall spread to about 5m wide. To the west of the track which runs across the site are two further hut circles, with internal diameters of 7m. Around the circles are the remains of at least 12 field clearance cairns.
The area to be scheduled, which contains the hut circles, the clearance cairns and may contain further features associated with their construction and use, is split into two parts by a modern track, which, with the fence bounding it on the west, is excluded from scheduling.
The western area measures a maximum of 120m NW to SE by a maximum of 60m transversely, bounded on the NE and SE by tracks (which are excluded); the eastern area measures a maximum of 100m NW to SE, by a maximum of 50m transversely, bounded by tracks (which are excluded from the scheduling) on the NW and NE sides, all as marked in red on the accompanying map.
Statement of National Importance
The monument is of national importance as a prehistoric settlement with cultivation remains. It is situated near to other areas of settlement, clearance and cultivation which have survived in the upper valley of the Feugh and which date from both the prehistoric and the early historic periods. As part of this complex the monument can provide information about the early history of settlement and cultivation, especially in the upland areas of Scotland. It is of particular importance because the hut circles are set within their broadly contemporary field system giving an opportunity for study of a prehistoric settlement within its original agricultural context.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
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).
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