Description

The monument comprises extensive midden deposits, field walls, houses and other structural remains dating to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, and lies in the sand dunes known as the Links of Noltland immediately south of a small bay known as Grobust.

Most of the site is at present covered by sand dunes and invisible. The site was, however, partially excavated between 1978 and 1981 and this revealed a series of deposits. In the western part a sequence of stratified midden deposits and structural remains survives up to 2m thick. Amongst these deposits was evidence for cultivation and field boundaries, a hearth and a pile of over a dozen red deer skeletons. To the east a large building was revealed which survived to roof height and included a number of separate rooms and cells joined by passages. The excavations also recovered very large numbers of artefacts and other materials relating to the occupation of the site.

The area to be scheduled is roughly rectangular, measuring up to 220m NNW-SSE by 320m ENE-WSW. The N boundary follows the line of the Guardianship fence for most of its length, and its continuation to the E is defined as the southern boundary of the coastal track, which is specifically excluded from the area to be scheduled. The scheduled area includes all of the exposures of archaeological material and an area around and between the known exposures where traces of activity related to the occupation of the site are likely to survive. The area is marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
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Historic Environment Scotland Properties
Links of Notland
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/links-of-noltland
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Source: Historic Environment Scotland