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Cortleferry is a scooped settlement situated on the rolling uplands of Midlothian, approximately 400 metres north-west of the township from which it takes its name. The site consists of a series of shallow, oval depressions cut into the Gala Group wacke bedrock that underlies the landscape, characteristic of domestic occupation during the medieval period and potentially extending to later prehistoric times.
Such scooped settlements represent a distinctive adaptation to the geology and topography of the Scottish Borders region, where inhabitants exploited the natural lie of the land by sinking their dwelling areas into the ground to provide shelter and stability. The wacke bedrock here, formed during the Telychian period of the Silurian, would have been worked using hand tools to create these shallow terraces and habitation floors.
The settlement's preservation and designation as a scheduled monument under reference SM1167 by Historic Environment Scotland reflects the archaeological importance of these earthworks as evidence of rural settlement patterns and land use in the region's medieval economy. Scooped settlements of this type contribute significantly to understanding how communities utilised the upland margins of lowland agricultural zones.
Cortleferry, scooped settlement 400m NW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1167. View the official record →
Cortleferry is a scooped settlement situated on the rolling uplands of Midlothian, approximately 400 metres north-west of the township from which it takes its name. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1167.
Cortleferry, scooped settlement 400m NW 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 SM1167.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hodge Cairn,fort,Shank Wood (1.6 km), Symington Hillhead,fort 350m S of,Fountainhall (2.2 km), Halltree Rings, settlement, Chapel Hill (3.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cortleferry, scooped settlement 400m NW 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.
Cortleferry, scooped settlement 400m NW of stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.