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Culblean Hill

Enclosure(S) (Period Unassigned), Field System (Period Unassigned), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric), Rock Carving (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Culblean Hill

Classification Enclosure(S) (Period Unassigned), Field System (Period Unassigned), Hut Circle(S) (Prehistoric), Rock Carving (Period Unassigned)

Alternative Name(s) Culblean Group

Canmore ID 17077

Site Number NJ40SW 8

NGR NJ 430 001

NGR Description Centred NJ 430 001

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/17077

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Aberdeenshire
  • Parish Glenmuick, Tullich And Glengairn
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Kincardine And Deeside
  • Former County Aberdeenshire

Archaeology Notes

NJ40SW 8 centred 430 001

(Centred: NJ 430 001). This group of hut-circles with associated enclosures or fields forms part of Ogston's 'Culblean Group' and comprises the following:

1. NJ 4286 0008: A large, north-south, oval enclosure without interior scooping. Its entrance at the SE has a semi-circular arrangement of small stones like a porch. The wall, on NE and W sides expands to accomodate three cup-like hollows or cells, about 5ft diameter and 4-5ft deep.

2. NJ 4308 0024: A hut-circle, 42ft internal diameter, with its entrance at the SE Towards the SE of the hut wall there is a recess formed in the centre of the wall 34 x 38 x 10 inches high, thought by Abercromby to be a relatively-modern temporary shelter, but by Ogston to be contemporary with the hut-circle. Nothing was found within this hut but outside it, on the south side, a little charcoal and burnt earth was found, while on the NE side one of the workmen found a 'Neolithic-type' flint arrow- head.

3. NJ 4309 0022: A hut-circle, with an internal diameter of 50ft and walls about 5ft thick, entered from the S. The upper side is set into the hillside but the interior is level with it and is not scooped. On the exterior of the lowest eastern point of the wall there was, before its destruction by Abercromby's excavation of 1904, a rectangular hole formed at ground level by three massive quadrangular boulders. It measured 21 inches wide, 12 inches high and 24 inches deep, where it was closed by another stone. Abercromby was unable to deduce its purpose, though Ogston believed it to be a store cupboard. To the east of the entrance a hole 6 1/2 feet long, 24 inches wide and 20 inches deep (an earth-house?) extended below the wall to a depth of 3ft 4 inches below the surface. To the east of the entrance Abercromby found traces of hearths, at one point three being superimposed on one another. Within the north wall of the hut three pieces of worked flint, not implements, were found.

4. NJ 4312 0012: A ring or hut-circle.

5. NJ 4320 0011: A ring or hut-circle. The wall bending southward from it has, within local expansions of its walls, three cup-like hollows or cells about 5ft in diameter and 4 - 5ft in depth.

6. NJ 4322 0025: A hut-circle with hollowed interior. At the east end there was, before Abercromby's excavation, a small mound 10ft in diameter and 6 inches in height below which a paved area was found. Some of the paving stones were set in iron pan leading Abercromby to conclude that paving and mound were natural, but Fairhurst's excavatioins at Kilpheder showed that iron pan formed after the hut circle there had been built. There is a cup-like hollow in the south wall of this hut.

7. NJ 4300 0031: An inconspicuous ring of stones sunk in the earth, southward of which is a little ring and marks of a larger ring or enclosure. All have been extensively robbed of their stones.

8. NJ 4318 0000: A mound with an earthen ring on its top.

J Abercromby 1904; A Ogston 1931; Information from H Fairhurst May 1966.

A settlement and field system, situated on the lower heather-covered slopes of a rocky hill at about 700ft OD. It comprises the remains of 5 sub-rectangular and oval dry stone enclosures, 6 hut-circles and associated ruined dry stone walls with traces of ill-defined fields enclosed within, and a few scattered stone clearance heaps.

Enclosure 1, apparently overlying a hut-circle c.9.5m in diameter, of which only the vague footings remain. No trace of cells within the walls.

Enclosure 2 and 3, generally as described by Ogston, the former having a small chamber-like structure attached. No trace of the features within the walls.

Enclosure 4, a hut-circle, 12.0m in diameter, scooped out of the hillside.

Enclosures 5 and 6, 12.0m. and 13.0m. internal diameter respectively. The latter has an apparently modern shelter attached, but no trace remains of the mound and paved area mentioned by Ogston.

Enclosure 7, a hut-circle, 10.0m. in diameter as described by Ogston. Enclosure 8, a natural mound, leaving no trace of a ring around its top. Not an antiquity.

9: (NJ 4300 0025) 10: (NJ 4310 0024) and 11: (NJ 4307 0024), the scant footings of three hut-circles, 10.0m in diameter.

Visited by OS (N K B) 22 February 1967.

This group of hut-circles, enclosures and walls is currently heavily obscured by heather, pine and birch vegetation; the descriptions by Ogston and the OS appear to be broadly correct but additional walls are apparent within the defined limits of the recorded monuments. The hut-circles nos. 7 and 9 should be re-located at NJ 4295 0033 and 4295 0027, respectively.

Information from S Carter and M Dalland (Headland Archaeology), 1996 (MS/899/3, no. 5).

NO 42 99 (centre) A short notice forestry survey was undertaken by Headland Archaeology Ltd over roughly 7km2 of land to the W of Lochs Kinord and Davan in the Howe of Cromar, Aberdeenshire. The survey took in the E slopes of Culblean Hill and the W part of the Muir of Dinnet. A total of 13 features or groups of features of archaeological interest were recorded. Eight records relate to previously known archaeological features, although one (cairns and enclosure) has not been plotted before. Four records (all limekilns) were noted on early OS maps. The final record is of a previously unidentified medieval or later settlement.

NJ 430 001 (centre) Settlement, field system (NJ40SW 8).

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

S Carter 1996

NJ 4300 0030 A number of rectilinear grooves were discovered deeply cut into the surface of a flattened dome-shaped rock. The rock is a fine-grained metamorphosed sandstone, set in an area of coarse-grained, glaciated, granite slabs which form the hilltop at 237m OD. It is more susceptible to carving than the surrounding rock, and the carved grooves cover an area of c 13 x 16cm.

The principal axis of the intersecting lines runs ENE-WSW, while a secondary groove runs in a NNE-SSW direction. A short groove S of the main intersection runs in a SSE-NNW direction from the principal axis but does not intersect it. This groove contains three cup marks at its base. Two additional grooves at the site are curved.

In general, these markings are deeply grooved and do not appear to be associated with any natural cracks or fissures in the rock. Further features at the periphery of the main carving appear sharp-edged and un-associated with glaciation.

It is difficult to describe this unusual combination of straight lines as 'rock-art' but local research is continuing to seek some parallels with other markings.

In August 2004 a large circular isolated cup mark was found on a SE-facing, nearly vertical, bluff at the edge of the hilltop. The cup measures 10cm diameter by 5cm deep.

R Daly 2004

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