Description

The monument is a prehistoric burial cairn situated in rough pasture on a false crest overlooking the River Findhorn, at a height of approximately 380m above sea level. It is located within a complex of other prehistoric burial cairns, hut-circles and relic field systems shown on the Ordnance Survey map.

The cairn survives as a roughly circular, convex, turf-covered mound measuring 11.8m from E to W by 10.5m transversely, and 0.9m high. Its form suggests that it is best classified as a round cairn, probably Bronze Age in date. Some stone is visible in the surface but no kerbstones have been identified. There is a 1.8m wide, roughly circular, depression in the centre of the cairn, which may indicate subsidence into a central burial cist.

The area to be scheduled is circular on plan, centred on the cairn, to include the visible remains and an area around in which evidence relating to its construction and use may survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. The scheduling excludes the above-ground portions of the modern post-and-wire fence crossing the scheduled area, to allow for their maintenance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

Cultural Significance

The monument's archaeological significance can be expressed as follows:

Intrinsic characteristics: The monument is in a relatively good state of preservation. It is upstanding and clearly visible in the landscape. Despite a small degree of erosion by grazing livestock, the cairn retains the field characteristics that identify it as a Bronze-Age cairn, a form of prehistoric burial site. It has a well-defined edge and the convex profile of the interior does not suggest extensive, if any, disturbance. It is therefore likely that high quality archaeological deposits relating to prehistoric burial rites are preserved within the monument.

Contextual characteristics: The cairn formed a highly visible component of the Bronze-Age landscape and can be compared and contrasted to nearby prehistoric funerary monuments and others outside the region to create an understanding of regional identity and society during this period. The monument is located within a complex of prehistoric settlement sites, both domestic and funerary, in this part of the Findhorn Valley, further enhancing its value.

National Importance

This monument is of national importance because it is a prominent, upstanding Bronze-Age cairn with the potential to reveal much about funerary practice in the prehistoric communities of NE Scotland. It has the potential to make a significant contribution to our knowledge of prehistoric society in this locality and, by association, the rest of Scotland. The loss of the monument would affect our future ability to appreciate and understand the prehistoric landscape and its inhabitants.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS record the monument as NH72SE 6. It is recorded in the Highland SMR as NH72SE0006.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland