Building record MAB21798 - HILL OF BOGHEAD

Mounds and cairns, built of stone and turf, were noted in this area in the 19th Century.

Mounds and cairns, built of stone and turf, were noted in this area in the 19th Century. Some of them contained only bones while others included urns containing ashes and burnt bones. Despite the recorded finds, the majority of these mounds would appear to be no more than field clearance heaps. A walkover survey was carried out over the western part of the site in 2012 by MAS which recorded the cairns to the northeast of Boghead croft, located on higher ground either side of a gully. Not all of the cairns depicted on the 19th century OS maps were identified, but smaller mounds may have been obscured by the overgrown vegetation. The cairns recorded ranged in diameter from 2 to 5m and in height from 0.3m to 0.7m, and are thought to be more likely to be clearance cairns than burial cairns. No cairns were recorded in the field to the north, or east but both areas are improved grassland and map evidence suggests these were destroyed between 1865 and 1899. To the West of Denwell the survey also recorded a consumption dyke. Two areas of the site) were surveyed in 2017 ahead of works associated with overhead line refurbishment (NJ71SE0143). At NJ800140 this recorded four cairns, one very large (20m across) which although modern could conceal an earlier site, also a wall, a stony spread, and an extensive area of dumped stone (some clearly modern). Centred NJ79421423 the survey recorded an irregular plan cairn circa 21 m by 25 m. Two clearance cairns were noted (NJ81SW0224 and NJ81SW0226) during a walkover survey carried out by CFA Archaeology in April 2024 (NJ71SE0166), prior to the proposed development of a hydrogen plant.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2012, HILL OF BOGHEAD, KINTORE, ABERDEENSHIRE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL WALKOVER AND DESK TOP SURVEY (Bibliographic reference). SAB5034.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2014, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 14, 2013, p.26 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5483.

CFA ARCHAEOLOGY, 2018, ABERDEEN BAY PROJECT: BLACKDOG TO KINTORE, ABERDEENSHIRE OHL AND CABLING, Site 29 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8580.

CFA, 2024, KINTORE HYDROGEN PLANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT, DBA and Walkover Survey, Site 18 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8964.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, No2(1843) 114-5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

URNS

Record last edited

Dec 17 2025 9:37AM