Description

The monument comprises the remains of a burial cairn of prehistoric date, surviving as a grassy mound of stones on the summit of Guthrie Hill.

The cairn occupies the SE part of the broad plateau on the summit of Guthrie Hill at around 150m OD, overlooking large tracts of land in Strathmore and the Lunan Valley. The cairn measures around 20m in diameter although its edges are ill-defined. Its maximum surviving height is approximately 1m.

The cairn appears to have been robbed of stone and a nineteenth century account records that several 'urns'

were found within the mound. Despite these disturbances the cairn may be expected to contain further deposits relating to Bronze Age funerary ritual.

The area to be scheduled encompasses the cairn and an area around it where traces of associated activity may be expected to survive. It is circular with a diameter of 40m as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to add to our understanding of Bronze Age funerary ritual. It may be expected that evidence relating to funerary practices may survive within the body of the cairn and in the immediately surrounding area. There is also a reasonable likelihood that further burials remain within or below the cairn itself.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NO 55 SE 3.

Reference:

RCAHMS (1978) Lunan Valley, No. 14.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland