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Midmill

Long Cairn (Neolithic), Cinerary Urn

Site Name Midmill

Classification Long Cairn (Neolithic), Cinerary Urn

Alternative Name(s) Tuach Hill

Canmore ID 18588

Site Number NJ71NE 31

NGR NJ 7952 1514

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/18588

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

  • Council Aberdeenshire
  • Parish Kintore
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Gordon
  • Former County Aberdeenshire

Archaeology Notes

NJ71NE 31 7952 1514.

(NJ 7952 1514) Cairn (NR) (site of)

OS 6" map, (1968)

This cairn was opened some years ago and found to contain a stone coffin with an urn and some bones, supposed to be human. The coffin was not disturbed except that the end was taken out to extract its contents, and part of it can still be seen protruding from the soil. The urn was given to Mr Wilson, at that time proprietor of Glasgowego (NSA 1845).

Name Book 1864; New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845.

A cist, approximately 4ft (1.2m) long, was seen by Mr Morrison 'about ten years ago' at this position. It is situated at the E end of a glacial deposit that has been used as a quarry and a dump for field clearance, and the cist cannot now be seen.

Visited by OS (NKB) 18 March 1964; Information from Mr Morrison, Mid Mill Farm, Kintore.

Woodham considers that the remains at this site are those of 'a grass-covered long cairn 3 to 3 1/2m high and 24.5m wide aligned ESE-WNW and possibly horned at the W end. The E end is badly damaged by quarrying and the surviving W portion is 29.2 m long. The original length may have been 65m.'

A A Woodham 1975.

(GRC/AAS photography listed).

NMRS, MS/712/67.

What may be the remains of a long barrow are situated on the crest of a low rise in an area of relatively open ground to the SE of Kintore. The surviving portion of the barrow stands 3.5m high and measures at least 27m in length, tapering in width from 20m at the ESE end to 16m on the WNW. A cleft cuts obliquely across the axis of the barrow at the ESE end, its line followed by an old field boundary. To the E of this point the mound has been heavily quarried, but it may have extended another 34m to the ESE, its axis swinging a little further to the S to assuming a NW and SE alignment. A small quarry has been dug into the WNW end of the barrow. The area immediately to the SW of the barrow has been levelled prior to development.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS), 2 October 1996; (ARG, SPH), 26 April 2002.

NJ 791 151 On Wednesday 12 December 2001, an archaeological watching brief was maintained at Kintore Business Park, Aberdeenshire, during the laying of high voltage underground cable. The work was observed but no archaeological features or artefacts were evident.

J C Murray 8 January 2002

NJ 7952 1514 A watching brief was undertaken between 29 June and 3 July 2007 along the line of a new electricity

cable trench which ran c30m W of Midmill Long Cairn. No archaeological features or finds were evident. Reports deposited with Aberdeenshire SMR and RCAHMS.

Funder: SSE Power Distribution.

J C Murray, 2007.

Activities

Publication Account (1986)

This substantial long cairn, now turf- and whin-covered, occupies a rounded crest on the end of a broad, low ridge above a dry valley in the heart of the Garioch. The cairn is oriented east-west and has been mutilated by quarrying at its east end. Nevertheless, the surviving remains are still impressive, if simple in plan, about 72 m long, 26 m wide and up to 3 m high.

Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Grampian’, (1986).

Publication Account (1996)

This substantial long cairn, now turf-and whincovered, occupies a rounded crest on the end of a broad, low ridge above a dry valley in the heart of the Garioch. The cairn is oriented east-west and has been mutilated by quarrying at its east end. Nevertheless, the surviving remains are still impressive, if simple in plan, about 72m long, 26m wide and up to 3m high.

Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Aberdeen and North-East Scotland’, (1996).

Watching Brief (29 June 2007 - 3 July 2007)

NJ 7952 1514 A watching brief was undertaken between 29 June and 3 July 2007 along the line of a new electricity cable trench which ran c30m W of Midmill Long Cairn. No archaeological features or finds were evident. Reports deposited with Aberdeenshire SMR and RCAHMS.

Funder: SSE Power Distribution.

J C Murray, 2007.

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