Scheduled MonumentsScotlandAuchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of
Bronze Age · Stone circle

Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of

Scotland
HES SM12354
Period
Bronze Age
Site type
Stone circle
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Auchlee Cottage is a Bronze Age stone circle situated in Kincardineshire, approximately 120 metres north-north-east of the cottage from which it takes its name. The monument stands on bedrock belonging to the Argyll Group, a Neoproterozoic formation of psammite, semipelite and pelite that underlies this part of north-east Scotland. These metamorphic rocks, originally deposited as sediment over 600 million years ago, provided the local stone available to Bronze Age communities who constructed the circle, likely during the second millennium before the present.

The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM12354. Stone circles of this period typically served ceremonial, ritual or burial functions within their communities, though their precise purposes remain contested amongst archaeologists. The Kincardineshire landscape contains numerous prehistoric monuments, reflecting the region's significance as a focus for Bronze Age settlement and ritual activity.

This monument contributes to understanding Bronze Age practices in north-east Scotland and the relationship between communities and their local geology, demonstrating how people working without metal tools shaped stone to create enduring ritual landscapes that survive into the present day.

Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM12354. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of?

Auchlee Cottage is a Bronze Age stone circle situated in Kincardineshire, approximately 120 metres north-north-east of the cottage from which it takes its name. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM12354.

What period does Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of date from?

Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a stone circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of?

Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM12354.

What other scheduled monuments are near Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Old Bourtreebush,stone circle and cairn 250m W of (1.5 km), Cantleyhills, cairn 150m SSW of (6.6 km), White Hill,house and field system (7.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of

Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.

The wider landscape

Around Auchlee Cottage, stone circle 120m NNE of

Battle of HarlawBattle (1411) · ~18.8 milesBattle of BarraBattle · ~19.1 miles