Earthwork record MAB44494 - BALNAGASK

Remains of a possible motte situated on land which was owned by the De Nug family in the 12th century.

Remains of a possible motte situated on land which was owned by the De Nug family in the 12th Century. The mound rises at least 8 m above the surrounding ground, and its top, which measures circa 10 m across, has been levelled and enclosed by a low bank, circa 2 m in thickness and 0.4 m in height. A break in this bank on the south-southeast opens on to a path, leading down to the foot of the mound on the south. On the northeast flank of the mound there are several narrow terraces.

The top of the mound was re-modelled in the early 20th Century obscuring any traces of Medieval remains on the upper surface. The 1st edition OS 6-inch map (1867-1869) shows the mound at least partly wooded within the designed policies surrounding the house. The 2nd edition of the map (1901) shows the path and depicts the summit enclosure with a circular dashed line. Both editions of the map show that the top of the mound was surmounted by an Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar, but of this nothing can now be seen.

The mound was within the grounds of Balnagask House (until its demolition in the 1980s), opposite the Mains of Balnagask, overlooking the Dee estuary and Nigg Bay. It has been suggested that this large grass-grown mound is possibly no more than a natural knoll that has been adapted as a garden feature in the policies of Balnagask House.

Ahead of remedial works, a watching brief was carried out by MAS in April 2014 on two trial pits excavated to determine the nature of the soil deposits against the north foot of the retaining wall. No surviving early deposits were identified.

Two trial pits were dug by Cameron Archaeology in March 2016 adjacent to the retaining wall in advance of remedial works. The trenches indicated that the wall and adjacent path were terraced into the natural slope of the ground. The finds, including numerous pottery sherds, of 19th and 20th century date suggest that the soil banked up behind the boundary wall has accumulated or been dumped in the 19th century and later.

Four test pits were excavated during a watching brief carried out by Cameron Archaeology in 2024. No archaeological features were identified within any of the test pits. Pieces of 19th-21st Century glass, pottery, and plastic were found within the topsoil. The base of a modern metal post was located in situ in the topsoil of uppermost test pit.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2014, BALNAGASK MOTTE, BAXTER PLACE, ABERDEEN: WATCHING BRIEF, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB7333.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2015, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 15, 2014, p. 10 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5542.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2016, A Report on Trial-Pits at Balnagask Motte, Torry CA286, Report (Bibliographic reference). SAB6853.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2016, BALNAGASK MOTTE, TORRY: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB6852.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2017, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 17, 2016, p.10 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6497.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2024, BALNAGASK MOTTE, TORRY, ABERDEEN: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8703.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2025, Discovery and Excavation in Scotland, New Series, Volume 26 (Monograph). SAB37335.

Apr 19 2017 , AAS-GR-17-04-011 - 022, AAS-GR-17-04-011 - 022 (Ground Photograph). SAB34139.

Jan 29 2017 , PUB-GR-17-01-008-015, PUB-GR-17-01-008-015 (Ground Photograph). SAB34259.

Sep 29 1989 , 1 image, 1 image (Ground Photograph). SAB36376.

Record last edited

Jul 13 2026 11:05AM