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

  SM13622_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600002611)

Summary

Description

The monument is a prehistoric burial monument probably dating to the 2nd millennium BC (Bronze Age). It survives as a prominent, circular, grass-covered mound, built mainly of earth but with some stone visible in its sides, with a smaller secondary barrow to the east. The monument is situated on raising ground to the east of the Halladale River, at around 40m above sea level.

The main burial monument appears to be a bowl barrow with an external ditch and bank. The central mound, which probably contains one or more burials, is approximately 6.5m in diameter and stands 0.5m high. It is surrounded by a ditch, approximately 1.6m wide, and an external bank approximately 2m wide and standing up to 0.5m high. The ditch and bank are well-defined but the bank has been disturbed by later activity around its south east arc. Immediately to the east there is a low mound which is approximately 5m in diameter and stands 0.5m high, and is likely to be a second barrow.

The scheduled area is circular on plan, 30m in diameter. It includes the remains described above and an area around them within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a prehistoric burial mound with an inherent potential to make a significant addition to our understanding of the past, particularly the design and construction of burial monuments, the nature of burial practices, and their significance in Bronze Age and later society. The Millburn barrows are of particular importance in that one appears to be a well-preserved, rare type of burial monument – a bowl barrow with distinctive field characteristics. This type of barrow is more commonly associated with pre-historic ritual and funerary landscapes in central southern England and may indicate social influences or cultural connections between communities in northern Scotland and central southern England. The monument has an inherent potential to contribute to our understanding of the form, function and distribution of Bronze Age burial monuments. Such monuments are important for our understanding of the form and nature of the prehistoric landscapes of the Highlands. Due to the rare nature of this type of burial monument in Scotland, its loss would very significantly diminish our ability to understand Bronze Age burial practices and society more widely.

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.