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Braes of Fintoch is a shieling group located 760 metres south-west of Cairn of Gilderoy in Aberdeenshire. Shielings are seasonal settlements established by Highland and Island communities to exploit upland summer pasture for cattle herding. These temporary structures formed an essential part of pastoral economies across northern Scotland from at least the medieval period onwards, with families moving livestock to high ground during summer months before returning to permanent settlements as winter approached.
The site occupies terrain underlain by mafic igneous rock of Silurian age, part of an unnamed intrusion formed between the Ordovician and Silurian periods. This geology has shaped the character of the Cairngorm foothills landscape in which the shielings sit. The location places the settlement within the upland zone suitable for seasonal cattle grazing, typical of areas chosen for shieling activity across Aberdeenshire and the wider northeast Highlands.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM11668. Such groups provide valuable evidence for understanding historic land use practices, pastoral economy and settlement patterns in rural Scotland. Archaeological investigation of shieling sites has revealed details of construction techniques and daily life during the summer grazing season, contributing significantly to knowledge of early modern Highland society.
Braes of Fintoch, shieling group 760m SW of Cairn of Gilderoy is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11668. View the official record →
Braes of Fintoch is a shieling group located 760 metres south-west of Cairn of Gilderoy in Aberdeenshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11668.
Braes of Fintoch, shieling group 760m SW of Cairn of Gilderoy 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 SM11668.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Newe's Craig, still 3950m NE of Morven Lodge (0.5 km), Groddie Cottage, shielings 2520m, 2630m and 2700m WNW of (2.1 km), Ardan Breac, shielings 2780m WNW of Balgrennie (2.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Braes of Fintoch, shieling group 760m SW of Cairn of Gilderoy'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.
Braes of Fintoch, shieling group 760m SW of Cairn of Gilderoy stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.