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Clach Oscar is a shielings site located in Inverness-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Shielings were seasonal settlements used by pastoral communities for transhumance grazing, typically occupied during summer months when livestock were moved to upland pastures. This example lies on bedrock formed from Middle Jurassic rocks—undifferentiated mudstone, sandstone and limestone—that underlie much of this region and would have provided varied soils supporting both grazing land and the moorland vegetation characteristic of Highland summer pastures.
The site is situated in a landscape shaped by Jurassic geology, where the relatively soft sedimentary rocks have weathered to create rolling terrain suitable for pastoral use. Such locations were deliberately chosen for shielings because they offered accessible high ground with reliable water sources and natural shelter, combined with good drainage on the permeable substrates formed from the underlying rock.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7847, recognising its significance as evidence of the seasonal pastoral economies that sustained Highland communities for centuries. The physical remains at Clach Oscar contribute to our understanding of traditional land use patterns and the relationship between geological setting and human settlement in the Scottish uplands.
Clach Oscar, shielings W of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7847. View the official record →
Clach Oscar is a shielings site located in Inverness-shire in the Scottish Highlands. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7847.
Clach Oscar, shielings W 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 SM7847.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cnocan nan Cobhar,chambered cairn,Kilmarie (5.2 km), Dun Ringill,dun 800m E of Cille Mhaire (5.5 km), Dun Liath,broch,Elgol (8.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Clach Oscar, shielings W 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.
Clach Oscar, shielings W of stands on Middle Jurassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Jurassic. The rock here is mudstone, sandstone and limestone.