Scheduled MonumentsScotlandBalkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of
Bronze Age · Stone circle

Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of

Scotland
HES SM2868
Period
Bronze Age
Site type
Stone circle
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Balkemback Cottages is a Bronze Age stone circle located in Angus, Scotland, approximately 500 metres west-north-west of Balkemback Cottages. The monument stands on bedrock of the Arbuttnott-Garvock Group, a geological formation of sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone dating from the Pragian period. This underlying geology would have shaped the availability of stone for the circle's construction and influenced the choice of location by its Bronze Age builders.

Stone circles of this type were erected across Scotland during the Bronze Age, typically serving ceremonial, ritual or communal functions. The use of locally available sandstone and conglomerate for such monuments was common in areas where these rocks naturally outcropped. The positioning of Balkemback Cottages within the Angus landscape reflects the Bronze Age population's engagement with their environment and their capacity for large-scale construction projects.

The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland and designated under the schedule of Ancient Monuments as SM2868. This legal protection reflects its archaeological significance as evidence of Bronze Age settlement and ritual practice in the region. The stone circle remains an important record of prehistoric activity in Angus and contributes to understanding Bronze Age communities in eastern Scotland.

Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2868. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of?

Balkemback Cottages is a Bronze Age stone circle located in Angus, Scotland, approximately 500 metres west-north-west of Balkemback Cottages. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2868.

What period does Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of date from?

Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW 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 Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of?

Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW 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 SM2868.

What other scheduled monuments are near Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wishart Arch, gateway 50m E of 15 Cowgate, Dundee (8.1 km), Paddock Stone, standing stone (8.2 km), Cursus and barrows, 240m NE of Bullionfield (8.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW 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 Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of

Balkemback Cottages, stone circle 500m WNW of stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.