© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Balblair enclosure is a post-medieval earthwork located in Nairnshire, in the Scottish Highlands. Situated 120 metres east of Balblair, the enclosure represents a form of land management and stock control typical of early modern rural Scotland. The monument survives as an upstanding earthen boundary, marking the continued organisation of agricultural land during a period when such enclosed spaces became increasingly common across the Lowlands and fringes of the Highlands.
The enclosure lies upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, formed during the Middle Devonian period. The local geology comprises conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone, giving the underlying landscape its characteristic reddish tones. These durable stone formations would have influenced both the construction methods available to those who built the enclosure and the natural drainage patterns of the surrounding land.
The site is protected under Historic Environment Scotland designation SM5164, recognising its significance as evidence of post-medieval agricultural practice and landscape organisation. Though modest in scale compared to contemporary lowland parks and policies, the Balblair enclosure contributes to our understanding of how communities in Nairnshire adapted and managed their environment during the early modern period, when such boundaries became an established feature of the rural landscape.
Balblair, enclosure 120m E of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5164. View the official record →
Balblair enclosure is a post-medieval earthwork located in Nairnshire, in the Scottish Highlands. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5164.
Balblair, enclosure 120m E of dates from the post-medieval period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Balblair, enclosure 120m E 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 SM5164.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dalcross Church (4.2 km), Dun Evan,fort (4.5 km), St Barevan's Church and Churchyard, Foxmoss Wood (5.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Balblair, enclosure 120m E of'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.
Balblair, enclosure 120m E of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.