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

  SM5379_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600011281)

Summary

Description

The stone setting at Garleffin lies on the fifty foot raised beach terrace to the S of the River Stinchar. The area around the stones has produced a large number of late mesolithic artefacts which are probably indicative of settlement and related activities. Several of the stones have recently been felled and removed.

Six of the standing stones formed a curvilinear alignment extending over a distance of about 200m. A seventh forms an outlier to the E. The two southernmost stones are located in a residential garden where they form ornamental features surrounded by flowerbeds. The five remaining stones were situated within an arable field. The stones range from a slab of conglomerate measuring 1.2m by 0.7m at the base

and 1.3m in height. One stone was recumbent.

The northernmost stone was removed to the W side of the terrace by the new owner late in 1991 and in January 1992, after notification of Historic Scotland's intentions to schedule the site, the remaining four stones within the field were also removed. Nonetheless associated archaeological remains may survive and it will be possible

to re-erect these stones as a landscape feature.

The mesolithic aspects of this area have been well known since the 1930s and the area around the stones in particular is noted as an area of dense lithic finds. In 1985 in-situ flints were noted, together with an associated pit with charcoal layers which was exposed on the edge of the terrace, and there is therefore a strong possibility that further structural remains may survive.

The area to be scheduled includes the upper river terrace, defined on its W by the stream, on the E by the public road, extending S into the E side of the garden of the house known as Druidslea, but excluding the main road, house and drive. This area includes the original settings of the stones and an area around in which traces of associated activities may survive, as well as an important part of the area which has produced mesolithic settlement evidence, as marked in red on the attached map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance for its potential to provide information about the activities of mesolithic society in an area particularly noted for the relative wealth of such sites. Despite the removal of five of the seven stones of the later setting there is still the potential to recover important evidence for the nature of late neolithic or early bronze age ritual and associated activity at a type of monument which has few exact parallels in Scotland.

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.