Monument record MAB31596 - RUTHVEN

Souterrain.

According to the OS Name Book, a souterrain was found in the mid-19th Century when the path to the church was being constructed. Its position is marked by a large sandstone slab, apparently from the top of a corbelled wall, now embedded in the path. It was said to have consisted of three compartments, artificially built, and arched over with dry stones. 'Bits of cinerary urn', presumably native pottery, 'human bones' (probably animal), and a flattened ring were found. There was a cup-and-ring marked stone in the roof of this souterrain. The antiquarian John G. McPherson (minister of Ruthven between 1870-1909) noted that 'some of the stones were built into the walls and mullions and windows of the new Church' which dates the discovery to circa 1859, the date of the church’s construction. The roofing slabs of the souterrain were discovered again during ploughing in 1962.

In March 1998 the block marking the site was removed during digging of a service trench for pipes and cables. An emergency survey by RCAHMS was undertaken on Thursday 26th March 1998 and the souterrain was resealed the following weekend. This revealed that the souterrain was sausage-shaped, measuring 9.3 m long east-northeast, up to 2.3 m wide, and circa 2 m high. It is of drystone construction, with occasional water-worn stones and has a mostly intact corbelled roof. A depression in the east end is probably the remains of a 19th Century investigation, further damage was noted at the entrance on the north.

The entrance measures 3 m from the west end, 0.8m wide, and 2m high. The lintel at the junction with the chamber is only 1.4 m high. This passage is choked with earth and presumably leads to the other two chambers mentioned in the OS Name Book. The 1998 service trench crossed the west end of the recorded chamber and the top of three features, probably passages. No evidence of masonry in these features was discovered, and they too were probably disturbed in the 19th Century.

The cup and ring marked stone used as a roofing slab, previously published by J. Simpson in the 19th Century, was recorded more accurately in 1998. It is a slab of red sandstone measuring 1.7 m long, 0.85 m wide, and 0.3 m thick. It has eleven visible cup marks. Of these, two have single rings and two others have two and three rings respectively. Three of these are linked by grooves to the north end of the stone. The stone has suffered some scaling since the 19th Century.

Simpson, J Y, 1868, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 6, 6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9841.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, Book No.78, 5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

Boyd, J D, 1961, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10492.

WAINWRIGHT, F. T., 1963, THE SOUTERRAINS OF SOUTHERN PICTLAND, 210 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2085.

RCAHMS, 1983, [Untitled], 30, No.242 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8209.

Sherriff, J R, 1984, [Untitled], 4, ANG.26 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9792.

SHERRIFF, J R, 1999, RUTHVEN SOUTERRAIN, ANGUS, 23-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3388.

Record last edited

Sep 8 2026 8:47AM