Building record MAB31042 - DUBRACH
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Summary
Depopulated settlement, enclosed within a head dyke and comprising remains of longhouses, kilns, and enclosures.
Protected Status/Designation
- Scheduled Monument 6455: Mar townships, enclosures, stills, kilns - Dubrach to east of Dalvorar
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NO 0271 8862 (322m by 439m) Centred at - Polygon: Unknown Extent |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NO08NW |
| Authority | Aberdeenshire |
| Civil Parish | Crathie and Braemar |
Type and Period (9)
- SETTLEMENT (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- HOUSE (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- Foundation (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- ENCLOSURE (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- CAIRN (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- KILN (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- WALL (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- RIDGE AND FURROW (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- HUT (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
Full Description
Depopulated settlement, enclosed within a head dyke and comprising remains of longhouses, kilns, and enclosures. Possibly part of the 'Dubrech' which appears on the John Farquharson 1703 map of of the forest of Mar. Nine buildings are depicted on the OS 1st edition map on which it is annotated ‘Dubh-bhruach (in ruins)’. RCAHMS site visit in 1993 also recorded a further four buildings and a hut beyond the head dyke. Most of the features within the head dyke are situated on a terrace above the river. Seven of the nine buildings measure between 9.5m and 11.8m long and between 2.5m and 3.3m wide, the coursed rubble walls up to 1.2m thick. The other two buildings are smaller, 5.4m long and 3m wide. All nine have rounded corners, and are of single compartment although one has a substantial outshot. A kiln at NO02908874 has a bowl 2.5m in diameter and a barn on the north side, the kiln at NO02748873) has a bowl of the same diameter and flue 1.6m long and may have been for lime burning. A hut at NO02688862 may have been an illicit still. The head dyke encloses an area of circa 12ha, and there are remains of rig over the western half of this area. Field clearance heaps on the 6ha of haughland also enclosed by the dyke suggests this area has also been cultivated. The settlement is depicted on Farquharson’s 1703 map on which it is named ‘Dubrech’. The settlement was garrisoned after the 1745 uprising. It is shown on Roy's map as a settlement named ‘Dubrach’. Walkover survey was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in June/July 2015 to assess damage on the Mar Lodge estate resulting from flooding in the wake of storm Bertha. Walkover survey by Highland Archaeology Services along the river Dee in 2023 (NO08NW0055) included part of this site alongside the river. This recorded a previously known stretch of tumbled drystone wall at the foot of the slope between NO 02709 88734 and NO 02737 88736, measuring 1.3 m wide and up to 0.7 m high.
SMITH, JS, 1986, DESERTED FARMS AND SHEALINGS IN THE BRAEMAR AREA
OF DEESIDE, GRAMPIAN REGION IN PSAS 116(1985-86) 447-53, 447-53 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1833.
RCAHMS, 1996, MAR LODGE, CONDITION SURVEY, p26 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1586.
CONDITION SURVEY
FRASER, S, 2010, MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN HS & NTS CONCERNING THE SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENTS ON THE MAR LODGE ESTATE 2011-2015 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2517.
CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2015, MAR LODGE ESTATE CRATHIE AND BRAEMAR, ABERDEENSHIRE: POST-HURRICANE BERTHA CONDITION SURVEY, Walkover report (Bibliographic reference). SAB7992.
HIGHLAND ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICES, 2023, BYNACK BURN AND RIVER DEE, RIVER RESTORATION, MAR LODGE ESTATE: WALKOVER SURVEYS DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, Site W8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5947.
HIGHLAND ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICES, 2023, GELDIE, BYNACK BURN AND RIVER DEE, MAR LODGE ESTATE, ROVER RESTORATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL MITIGATION: PROJECT DESIGN (Bibliographic reference). SAB5972.
DAVISON, S, 2024, LAIRIG GHRU DROVE ROAD: DESK BASED ASSESSMENT REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB4068.
Jul 21 2015 , AAS-GR-15-07-087 - 092, AAS-GR-15-07-087 - 092 (Ground Photograph). SAB20902.
Other Statuses/References
- Authority: ASH;
- HES Scheduled Monument Number: 6455;
- NMR Card Number: NO08NW9;
- NRHE Numlink: 27755;
- Old Historic Environment Record Ref: NO08NW0021;
External Links (2)
- https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM6455 (Historic Environment Scotland Portal Link)
- https://www.trove.scot/place/27755 (trove.scot link)
Sources/Archives (8)
- --- SAB1586 Bibliographic reference: RCAHMS. 1996. MAR LODGE, CONDITION SURVEY. p26.
- --- SAB1833 Bibliographic reference: SMITH, JS. 1986. DESERTED FARMS AND SHEALINGS IN THE BRAEMAR AREA OF DEESIDE, GRAMPIAN REGION IN PSAS 116(1985-86) 447-53. 447-53.
- --- SAB20902 Ground Photograph: Jul 21 2015 . AAS-GR-15-07-087 - 092. Digital. AAS-GR-15-07-087 - 092.
- --- SAB2517 Bibliographic reference: FRASER, S. 2010. MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN HS & NTS CONCERNING THE SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENTS ON THE MAR LODGE ESTATE 2011-2015.
- --- SAB4068 Bibliographic reference: DAVISON, S. 2024. LAIRIG GHRU DROVE ROAD: DESK BASED ASSESSMENT REPORT.
- --- SAB5947 Bibliographic reference: HIGHLAND ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICES. 2023. BYNACK BURN AND RIVER DEE, RIVER RESTORATION, MAR LODGE ESTATE: WALKOVER SURVEYS DATA STRUCTURE REPORT. Site W8.
- --- SAB5972 Bibliographic reference: HIGHLAND ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICES. 2023. GELDIE, BYNACK BURN AND RIVER DEE, MAR LODGE ESTATE, ROVER RESTORATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL MITIGATION: PROJECT DESIGN.
- --- SAB7992 Bibliographic reference: CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY. 2015. MAR LODGE ESTATE CRATHIE AND BRAEMAR, ABERDEENSHIRE: POST-HURRICANE BERTHA CONDITION SURVEY. Walkover report.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
Record last edited
Apr 8 2026 9:57AM
