Description

The monument comprises three circular enclosures and associated low turf and stone banks. The principal elements are: 1) a circular enclosure defined by a pair of banks; 2) a circular, partially embanked enclosure to the south; and 3) a rock-cut feature to the north. The monument lies in rough grassland, at around 235m OD.

1) This circular enclosure has been identified as the remains of a round house but other interpretations are possible. It comprises a pair of concentric banks with an intervening shallow gulley, enclosing an area some 9m in diameter. The paired banks are roughly 2.5m wide and stand 0.5 m high.

A 3m-wide hollow follows the outermost bank and may represent a quarry scoop. The interior of the circle is also slightly hollowed out, up to 0.5m deep. There are no indications of an entrance, which might suggest that the monument is not a domestic structure but some other type of enclosure. One possibility, on surface appearance alone, is that the banks might enclose a small cremation cemetery.

2) Some 5m to the south, another circular area, defined by low intermittent banks, measures about 10m in diameter. The interior appears fairly level with some surface irregularities.

3) Some 5.5m to the north of the first circular enclosure, there is a roughly circular rock-cut depression, partially enclosed by irregular banks on its east and west sides. Its sides appear to have been quarried from the rock and are near vertical, standing about 0.75m high. The interior basal surface is roughly level. A slight linear hollow approaches from the south to enter the rock-cut feature at the lowest point in its circuit, where it stands only 0.25m high.

In low sunlight, these three principal features can be seen to be located amongst a complex arrangement of other low banks. It is likely that the monument as a whole represents a long period of site use and re-use.

The scheduled area is irregular on plan and includes the three circular features and an area around in which evidence relating to their construction and use may survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map. The modern fence abutting the south side of the area is excluded from scheduling, to allow for its routine maintenance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as the remains of an inter-related group of settlement and ritual monuments of prehistoric date. It retains the potential to provide important information on prehistoric upland settlement, land-use and ritual activity.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NT 09 SE 5.

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/49672/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland