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Balnught hut circle, located 1225 metres east-north-east of Balnught in Nairnshire, is a prehistoric domestic settlement of a type widespread across the Scottish Highlands. The monument comprises a roughly circular stone-built dwelling, its form typical of Bronze Age or Iron Age occupation in upland regions. Such structures provided year-round or seasonal shelter for pastoral communities managing cattle and sheep across the moorland landscape.
The hut circle sits on bedrock belonging to the Moine Supergroup, ancient metamorphic rocks formed during the Neoproterozoic period. At this location, the underlying geology consists of gneissose psammite and gneissose semipelite—metamorphosed sedimentary rocks that weather to provide the stony moorland environment visible today. This geology would have determined the availability of building stone and the character of the surrounding land.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled ancient monument under reference SM11798. The upland setting and exposed landscape reflect the adaptability of early Scottish communities to harsh terrain. The hut circle contributes to understanding prehistoric settlement patterns in the northeast Highlands, where such structures offer evidence of long-established patterns of land use and pastoral economy.
Balnught, hut circle 1225m ENE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11798. View the official record →
Balnught hut circle, located 1225 metres east-north-east of Balnught in Nairnshire, is a prehistoric domestic settlement of a type widespread across the Scottish Highlands. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11798.
Balnught, hut circle 1225m ENE 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 SM11798.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Little Banchor, depopulated settlement 1130m WSW of Banchor (0.9 km), Dunearn, fort 510m S of (3.8 km), Princess Stone, cross-slab 250m SSW of Glenferness House (4.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Balnught, hut circle 1225m ENE 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.
Balnught, hut circle 1225m ENE of stands on Moine Supergroup, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is gneissose psammite and gneissose semipelite.