Gallows Hill, Auldyeoch

NJ64SE 5 68 42.

(Area Centred NJ 68 42) Mounds (NAT) (Site of) (10 times)

Cairn (NR) (Site of) (10 times)

Earthwork (NAT) (Site of) (once)

OS 6" map, (1959)

An extensive scatter of hut circles (A-L) accompanied by small mounds of earth and stone, some of which have yielded cinerary urns (M-V).

The hut circles average about 33' in diameter from the centre of their 6' wide earthen banks, which are 18" high. The interiors are slightly scooped and the entrances, identifiable as slight depressions in the banks, are in the E. One of the huts was partially excavated by Forrest in 1871 and was found to have a central post-hole, 2 1/2' deep and 1' in diameter, still containing the remains of a post. He assumed that it had supported a wig-wam type roof formed of poles. Fireplaces were also located, but the only artifacts recovered were a perforated stone 4" in diameter and several circular slaty stones, dressed and polished.

The tumuli (Forrest 1873) or cairns (Simpson 1943) (M-V) varied in diameter from 12' to 24', (R, S, T, U and V being the largest) and excavation of two of them by Forrest showed that they were composed of the local slaty stone and waterworn pebbles. The stones appeared to be laid in courses round the urns, and the pebbles apparently served only to augment the heaps, each one of which was covered with mossy earth to a depth of one or two inches. Each mound appeared to have contained several cinerary urns, each apparently standing on a rough slaty stone, rounded in shape, and was covered by another. Of the few that survived more or less complete one was preserved at Hatton Castle (probably that restored and illustrated) and three others were in the possession of Major Duff, Knockleith House, in 1871, one of these being subsequently donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland [NMAS].

A great many flint arrowheads, including both leaf-shaped and barbed and tanged, have been found on the removal of turf in the area c. 3 acres in extent about NJ 688 421. Two "celts" have also been found, the larger of gritty stone 7 1/2" by 4 1/2", and the smaller, darker and of closer grain, 4 1/2" by 1 1/2".

J Forrest 1873; J G Callander 1932; W D Simpson 1943; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1968; Name Book 1871; Information from Rhind Lectures typescript

(A O Curle) (MS 2006 in Aberdeen University Library).

No trace.

Visited by OS (ISS) 3 January 1972.

Flints, pottery and other finds, mostly from the excavation at Gallows Hill and the surrounding area, are in the Mrs L Duff-Dunbar collection in the Old Wick Carnegie Museum.

ARC 167-317: mainly flints, many barbed and tanged and leaf-shaped arrowheads, from general area and including a few strays from elsewhere. (Arrowheads currently being studied by Hazel Hamilton, Edinburgh University, as part of an undergraduate dissertation.)

ARC 318-324: Pottery from excavation.

ARC 312-313: Stone objects, also from excavation.

Information from R Gourlay (See Archive Ms/467, 1982).