Hill Of Selbie

NJ72SE 39 79781 22813

(NJ 7977 2282) Cairn (NR) Stone Cist found.

OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 2nd ed., (1928).

See also NJ62NE 36 and NJ72SE 102.

For surrounding rig, see NJ72SE 206.

Location formerly input as NJ 7977 2282.

A great portion of this cairn has been removed but the remains are still about 4 feet high. A stone coffin was dug up here.

Name Book 1866.

The cairn is a mound approximately 40 feet (12.2m) in diameter surrounded by a broken circle of stones. No trace of the cist was seen, but in the centre of the mound there is a single standing stone 3 feet (0.9m) high.

OS Reviser (W Campbell) 13 November 1955.

After a trial excavation in 1963, Dr Woodham concludes that this feature is a ring cairn. Further excavations will continue this year. The cairn, approximately 0.6m high, has been mutilated by the robbing of stones and the addition of others from recent field clearance. There is no trace of the standing stone mentioned by W Campbell (1955).

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (NKB) 16 September 1963; Information from Dr A A Woodham, Curator, Clava, Cunninghill Rd, Inverurie.

Recent field clearance material has been dumped around the perimeter of this mutilated and heavily-robbed cairn which is situated on a rounded and very prominent hilltop in an area of grassland and heather scrub (which was formerly wooded) at an altitude of 190m OD.

NMRS, MS/712/72, visited 21 March 1989.

This ring-cairn is situated on the flattish summit of the Hill of Selbie about 420m SE of Little Hillbrae farmsteading (NJ72SE 278). Excavated in the 1960s, the cairn has been reduced to little more than a spread of stones and boulders upon which field-clearance has now been dumped. However, an arc of five earthfast boulders can be seen at the centre, probably forming the kerb on the SE side of the central court. One or two possible stones of the outer kerb can still be seen on the NW, in which case the cairn measured about 7.3m in diameter overall and 4m internally.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS), 20 March 1996.

Contrary to previous reports, which stated that this ring-cairn was partly excavated in the 1960s, recent information from Dr A A Woodham (contained in a letter to Historic Scotland dated 21 August 2008) indicates that his work then was limited solely to removing modern field clearance in order to reveal the form of the underlying prehistoric monument.

Information from RCAHMS (JRS) 26 August 2008.

Scheduled as 'Hill of Selbie, cairn 440m SE of Little Hillbrae...'

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 30 March 2009.

Cairn [NAT] (at NJ 79781 22813)

OS (GIS) Master Map, May 2009.