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

  SM12008_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600014152)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a stone circle of late-Neolithic or Bronze-Age date, visible as three standing stones set at the edges of a low mound. It is situated immediately north of a small burn at about 100m above sea level, in an area of sparse mature woodland at the edge of an arable field.

Known locally as 'The Druids', the stones are all granite, each measuring about 1.2m in height. They stand in a triangular arrangement. The southernmost stone stands at the S edge of the mound. The westernmost stone stands approximately 3m to the NW of the first, at the SW edge of the mound. The easternmost stone, which stands about 3m to the NE of the first, is set about 1.5m inside the SE edge of the mound. The mound itself rises to about 0.3m in height and measures about 9m N-S by 6m transversely. A small earthfast stone near the centre of the mound suggests that the monument may originally have included more stones. Local tradition states that some stones in the circle were washed away during a freak flood of the Gullie Burn in the 1830s, caused by the Clyan's Dam bursting its banks. However, the number of stones that may have stood in the circle and since been lost is impossible to estimate.

The area to be scheduled is circular on plan, to include the remains described and an area around them within which related material may be expected to be found, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

Cultural Significance

The monument's cultural significance can be expressed as follows:

Intrinsic characteristics

The monument is a well-preserved example of a stone circle, likely to date to the 3rd millennium BC. Given its location among mature trees, the monument has not been subject to any damaging recent agricultural activities and it is likely that archaeologically significant deposits relating to the construction and use of the stone circle survive. Such deposits may give us valuable information about the purpose of the monument, the people who created and used it, their religious beliefs, the methods used to create it, and provide dating evidence for its erection and for any later activity associated with the stone circle. In addition, it is likely that deposits survive that could provide data relating to the prehistoric environment within which the circle was constructed and used.

Contextual characteristics

The monument lies in a part of Scotland that is characterised by its density of recumbent stone circles (stone circles that incorporate in their SW arc a single prostrate stone known as a recumbent, flanked by two upright stones). As a non-recumbent stone circle, this monument is an important component of a diverse group of stone circles in NE Scotland. It is likely to have been an intrinsic part of the late-Neolithic and Bronze-Age landscape and can be compared and contrasted with nearby stone circles and others outside the region to create an understanding of regional identity and society during this period. The study of this monument with other examples in the wider area can also give us valuable information on how and why Neolithic and Bronze-Age peoples of the area placed such monuments in the landscape.

Associative characteristics

The stone circle, which is known to some locals as The Druids, has an association with a freak flood of the Gullie Burn in the 1830s, caused by the Clyan's Dam bursting its banks. Local tradition states that some stones in the circle were washed away during this flood.

National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it has an inherent potential to make a significant addition to the understanding of the past, in particular the religious and ritual practices of late-Neolithic and Bronze-Age peoples in Scotland. Its relatively good preservation, form and known period of use enhance this potential, as does the fact that it lies within a wider landscape of monuments that are likely to be related. The loss of this example would impede our ability to understand the Neolithic and Bronze Age both in Aberdeenshire and across Scotland, as well as our knowledge of Neolithic and Bronze-Age social structure and religion.

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.