Canterland
Cairn (Prehistoric)
Site Name Canterland
Classification Cairn (Prehistoric)
Canmore ID 36329
Site Number NO76NW 1
NGR NO 70605 65343
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/36329
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish St Cyrus
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Kincardine And Deeside
- Former County Kincardineshire
NO76NW 1 7060 6534.
(NO 7060 6534) Cairn (NR)
OS 1:10000 map (1975)
Described by Christison as resembling a 'military mote' and consisting of a mound of earth and large rounded pebbles, about 6ft high and 20ft in diameter across its flat top, whose sides slope gently down to a ditch with an encircling mound of turf and stone less than 2ft high and between 30 and 40 yds in diameter. He does not mention the ditch, but describes the encircling bank as 'double with some compartments', saying this may be the result of digging which has also taken place on the top of the mound.
According to the NSA the Hill of Canterland was then called the Hill of Pitbeadly (i.e. the grave of the house on the hill). The 'camp' is described as 'nearly 40 yds in diameter, and had a ditch, and a wall of turf and stones, and a central building constructed of stone.' Some human remains were lately exhumed within its enclosure (c. 1840) (NSA 1845).
The ONB (1864) repeats the information about the human remains but says there is no tradition of 'any stone coffins or urns being found'.
D Christison 1899; NSA 1845
This is a bell-cairn. The central mound of earth and stone measures 9.0m in diameter and 0.7m in height, and is separated from the ditch by a berm averaging 5.0m in width. The ditch, about 5.0m in width and 0.8m in depth, is encircled by a double bank with an overall diameter of some 36.0m. The bank becomes single for a distance of 9.0m on the NW; the S half of the bank has been extensively mutilated.
Resurveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OA (AA) 11 January 1968
Field Visit (13 September 1956)
This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, are available to view online - see the searchable PDF in 'Digital Items'. These vary from short notes, to lengthy and full descriptions. Contemporary plane-table surveys and inked drawings, where available, can be viewed online in most cases - see 'Digital Images'. The original typecripts, notebooks and drawings can also be viewed in the RCAHMS search room.
Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 19 July 2013.
Field Visit (September 1981)
Canterland NO 706 653 NO76NW 1 & 3
On the S summit of the Hill of Canterland there is a cairn surrounded by a ditch and outer bank; the mound is 9m in diameter by 0. 7m in height and is separated from the ditch by a berm 3m broad. Both the mound and bank show signs of disturbance. Excavation in the nineteenth century revealed an empty central cist which appears to have cut an earlier inhumation in a grave; on the E there was a second cist containing an inhumation and several flints. Fragments of urns are said to have been found but all that survives are parts of at least one Beaker (ADM, M 1977.5-6; Clarke 1970, ii, 518, no. 1687).
RCAHMS 1982, visited September 1981
(NSA, xi, Kincardine, 282; Report of the Directors of Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society, 1866, 7; MS notes in Montrose Museum, Minutes of the Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society, ii, 1859-1947, 85)
