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Auskerry settlement is a prehistoric or medieval occupation site located 165 metres south-south-west of the Loch of Dinnapow in Orkney, Scotland. The monument lies on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, deposited during the Middle Devonian period, comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone formations. This stable geological foundation would have provided suitable ground for settlement in antiquity. The site's proximity to freshwater resources at the loch offered essential access to water, whilst the sandstone bedrock itself furnished material for construction and tool manufacture, resources exploited by Orkney's earliest inhabitants.
The settlement is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13389, reflecting its archaeological significance and contribution to understanding settlement patterns in the Northern Isles. The immediate landscape of Orkney, with its moorland and coastal exposure, has sustained human occupation for millennia, though the specific chronology and character of activity at Auskerry remain to be fully determined through archaeological investigation.
The monument's survival on Orkney's distinctive geology exemplifies how local stone resources shaped the form and distribution of ancient settlements across the islands. Its documented position within the historic environment record ensures the site's protection and availability for future study.
Auskerry, settlement 165m SSW of Loch of Dinnapow is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13389. View the official record →
Auskerry settlement is a prehistoric or medieval occupation site located 165 metres south-south-west of the Loch of Dinnapow in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13389.
Auskerry, settlement 165m SSW of Loch of Dinnapow 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 SM13389.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Auskerry, burnt mound 260m SW of Loch of Dinnapow (0.1 km), Auskerry, settlement 315m ESE of Loch of Dinnapow (0.3 km), Auskerry, three standing stones (0.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Auskerry, settlement 165m SSW of Loch of Dinnapow's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Auskerry, settlement 165m SSW of Loch of Dinnapow stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.