Milton Of Ruthven
Linear Feature(S) (Period Unknown), Palisaded Settlement (Prehistoric), Souterrain(S) (Prehistoric)(Possible), Unenclosed Settlement (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Site Name Milton Of Ruthven
Classification Linear Feature(S) (Period Unknown), Palisaded Settlement (Prehistoric), Souterrain(S) (Prehistoric)(Possible), Unenclosed Settlement (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Canmore ID 271649
Site Number NO24NE 100
NGR NO 2933 4891
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/271649
- Council Angus
- Parish Ruthven
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District Angus
- Former County Angus
NO24NE 100 2933 4891
A rectilinear palisaded enclosure with a central roundhouse is located on gently sloping ground overlooking the River Isla to the SW and adjacent to Milton of Ruthven farmhouse to the S (NO24NE 90). The central roundhouse is fringed on its S perimeter with post-holes and measures about 9m to 10m in diameter. The palisaded enclosure has rounded corners and measures about 35m from N to S with a definite E side and the faint cropmark of a possible W side; no entrance is immediately apparent, but the feature is faint and often obscured by other cropmarks. Intersecting the curving NW perimeter of the palisaded enclosure are a series of pits that might suggest an alignment running from NE to SW.
About 55m to the N of the enclosure an irregular cropmark may represent the remains of a sunken-floored roundhouse with attached roofless souterrain extending in an S-shape to the E. At least three further souterrains are visible within the palisaded enclosure: immediately to the E, and perhaps within the outer wall of the roundhouse, is a rectilinear souterrain about 7m long that widens at its E end. To the SSE of the roundhouse an intermittent cropmark might represent the remains of a souterrain with at least three lintels still in-situ, while another to its W is shorter with more lintels still in-situ. A slightly curved cropmark with a lighter halo to the S of the enclosure may be the remains of a roofless stone lined souterrain associated with at least one pit. The visible area to the W of the enclosure has several broad linear cropmarks extending from NNE to SSW, between two of which is a macula that could represent the remains of a roundhouse. Several other poorly defined maculae to the N might also be the remains of roundhouses and together with the possible souterrains could represent an unenclosed settlement.
Information from RCAHMS (SMDG) 6 January 2005
