Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Stackaberg, cairn and homestead, Fetlar

A Scheduled Monument in North Isles, Shetland Islands

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 60.6138 / 60°36'49"N

Longitude: -0.8821 / 0°52'55"W

OS Eastings: 461295

OS Northings: 1192791

OS Grid: HU612927

Mapcode National: GBR S05P.GD3

Mapcode Global: XHF7X.YHD4

Entry Name: Stackaberg, cairn and homestead, Fetlar

Scheduled Date: 5 August 1998

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM7754

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric domestic and defensive: homestead; Prehistoric ritual and funerary: barrow

Location: Fetlar

County: Shetland Islands

Electoral Ward: North Isles

Traditional County: Shetland

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a prehistoric homestead, possibly Iron Age in date, built into an earlier structure which may be a cairn. It is located on the summit of Stackaberg, a low rocky hill. The summit of the hill carries a large stony mound, which is largely grass-covered. This is about 16m across and up to 1.5m high. It appears to have been hollowed out and a secondary structure, very approximately oval on plan, created.

From the banks which edge this structure, and which are presumably tumbled walls, quantities of coarse pottery have been recovered, consistent with a late Bronze Age or early Iron Age date. It is likely that the secondary construction is a homestead, although its hill-top location is an unlikely one for an agricultural settlement. Traces of other former walls occur nearby, possibly indicating associated enclosures.

The area to be scheduled is a circle 60m across, to include the whole hill-top with the cairn and subsequent homestead, the other traces of walling visible nearby, and an area around these remains in which further evidence of their construction and use may survive. The area is marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a prehistoric settlement site which may incorporate a burial cairn and which has produced quantities of prehistoric artefactual material. It has the potential to provide information about prehistoric domestic economy and agriculture.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as HU 69 SW 9 and 21.

Reference:

PSAS (1960) 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library, Proc Soc Antiq Scot, Vol. 91, 200.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.