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Birkford is a burnt mound situated 420 metres north of Birkford in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Burnt mounds are Bronze Age monuments consisting of heaps of fire-cracked stone accumulated through repeated heating and cooling cycles. These sites typically represent the remains of hot-stone cooking or metalworking activities, with evidence suggesting use over extended periods. The mound at Birkford lies on bedrock composed of a mafic igneous intrusion of Silurian age, part of the ancient geological foundations of the Midland Valley.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under designation SM11401, reflecting its archaeological significance. Such burnt mounds are found widely across Scotland and northern Britain, clustering in areas with suitable stone and water sources. Their presence indicates intensive Bronze Age settlement and economic activity in the region around Birkford.
The survival of the burnt mound today provides evidence of prehistoric land use and subsistence practices in Aberdeenshire. Examination of such sites has revealed the scale of thermal processing in Bronze Age communities and their adaptation to local geological and environmental conditions. The monument contributes to understanding how ancient populations exploited their landscape and organised productive activities.
Birkford, burnt mound 420m N of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11401. View the official record →
Birkford is a burnt mound situated 420 metres north of Birkford in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11401.
Birkford, burnt mound 420m N 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 SM11401.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Torr na Sithinn Wood, cairn (0.6 km), Tulloch, cupmarks 335m SW of (2.9 km), Balgrennie, hut circle and field system 3170m WNW of (3.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Birkford, burnt mound 420m N 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.
Birkford, burnt mound 420m N of stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.