Building record MAB41495 - THE KNAPPACH

Remains of a field system comprising about 70 small cairns and three large cairns with at least three substantial stoney banks.

Remains of a field system comprising about 70 small cairns and three large cairns with at least three substantial stoney banks. Recorded by RCAHMS in 1984. The banks run from east-northeast to west-southwest along the crest of a ridge. The northernmost is 180m long and the other two run for over 300m converging after 100m to flank a trackway which can be followed to the edge of a modern field. On the crest of the ridge between the banks, the ground is scattered with stones and there are no small cairns, but on the west slopes, the banks pass through a group of about 45 cairns. A further 25 cairns are scattered along the south and east slopes. Two of the large cairns are circa 30m apart on the south shoulder of the ridge, measuring 10m - 9m in diameter and 0.6m-0.8m in height. The third is situated on the crest of a ridge 150m to the northeast and is probably a burial cairn, 10m in diameter, 0.6m in height with a large pit in the centre. Walkover survey was carried out by S Farrell in September 2023 ahead of felling operations within part of the woodland. Part of the woodland had been felled some years previously and most the features areas (including the three largest cairns) recorded by RCAHMS were not found, probably obscured by felling debris, regrowth, fallen trees and dense existing growth. The survey recorded a number of clearance cairns and remains of field banks and field walls. Four small clearance cairns were noted at NO 7252495242 (2 m by 3 m, 0.3 m high), NO 7248195331 (2.5 m in diameter and 0.4 m high), NO 7248695342 (2 m in diameter and 0.3 m high), NO 7245795345 (4 m in diameter 0.3 m high), two possible small cairns at NO 7252695267 (5 m by 4.5 m and 0.6 m high), and NO 7246795343 (5 m by 6 mm 0.2 m high) and a large clearance cairn at NO 7245795352 (10 m by 5 m, 0.2 m high). Two stretches of field wall remnants ran between NO 7243995293 and NO 7245695296 (this forming part of a trackway) and between NO 7263695299 and NO 7261995307. At NO 7253595236 is the remains of an L-plan field bank 0.5 m high, spread between 2 m and 6 m.

FARRELL, S, 2023, REPORT OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESKTOP AND WALKOVER SURVEY, THE KNAPPACH, BANCHORY, ABERDEENSHIRE, DBA/walkover (Bibliographic reference). SAB4205.

RCAHMS, n.d., N KINC LIST, No183 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1509.

Record last edited

Sep 28 2023 10:15AM