Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Brechin Cathedral Round Tower

Brechin Cathedral Round Tower

Scotland
HES SM90041
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Brechin Cathedral Round Tower is a Romanesque round tower of twelfth-century date, forming part of the cathedral complex in Brechin, Angus. The tower stands approximately 85 feet high and is distinguished by its round stone construction, a form characteristic of Irish-influenced ecclesiastical architecture of the medieval period. Originally built as a free-standing structure, it is among the finest examples of round tower architecture surviving in Scotland. The tower features a conical cap, decorative string courses, and four small windows positioned at different levels, and its original function encompassed both practical defence and ecclesiastical ceremony within the early Christian settlement.

Brechin Cathedral Round Tower is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90041. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Brechin Cathedral Round Tower?

Brechin Cathedral Round Tower is a Romanesque round tower of twelfth-century date, forming part of the cathedral complex in Brechin, Angus. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90041.

Who is responsible for protecting Brechin Cathedral Round Tower?

Brechin Cathedral Round Tower 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 SM90041.

What other scheduled monuments are near Brechin Cathedral Round Tower?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Middle Drums,ring ditches 50m NE of (2.5 km), Kinnaird Castle, unenclosed settlement 240m W of Wood Cottage (4 km), Kinnaird Castle,enclosure 300m WNW of (4.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Brechin Cathedral Round Tower

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Brechin Cathedral Round Tower'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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Brechin Cathedral Round Tower report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Middle Drums,ring ditches 50m NE of
Ring ditches2.5 km
Kinnaird Castle, unenclosed settlement 240m W of Wood Cottage
Unenclosed settlement 240m w of wood cottage4 km
Kinnaird Castle,enclosure 300m WNW of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure4.5 km
Netherton, enclosure 150m SSE of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure5.4 km
Netherton, settlement 500m S of
Settlement5.6 km
Netherton, settlement 400m SSW of
Settlement5.7 km
Powmouth,settlement 400m E of Haughs of Kinnaird
Settlement 400m e of haughs of kinnaird5.9 km
Guthrie Hill,cairn
Cairn9.6 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Brechin Cathedral Round Tower

Brechin Cathedral Round Tower stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.

All Scheduled Monuments