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Craiglynne is a pair of scooped settlements located in Dumfriesshire, southern Scotland. The two distinct hollowed homesteads lie approximately 660 metres and 750 metres south-south-east of the monument's reference point, positioned on terrain underlain by Hawick Group wacke bedrock of Wenlock age. These shallow, sunken structures represent a form of domestic occupation typical of upland pastoral communities, where the ground surface was deliberately excavated to create sheltered dwelling spaces.
The scooped settlements demonstrate the adaptation of settlement patterns to the exposed moorland environment of the Scottish Borders. By creating partially sunken dwellings, inhabitants gained protection from wind and weather whilst maintaining visibility across their pastoral landscape. The Hawick Group geology—comprising tough sedimentary rocks—would have presented significant challenges to excavation, suggesting the sites held sufficient value for communities to invest considerable labour in their construction.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the designation SM12620, recognising its archaeological importance as evidence of rural settlement practices. Together, the two scooped sites at Craiglynne preserve a record of how medieval and early modern upland communities organised their domestic space within the demanding terrain of the Scottish moorlands.
Craiglynne, two scooped settlements 660m and 750m SSE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM12620. View the official record →
Craiglynne is a pair of scooped settlements located in Dumfriesshire, southern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM12620.
Craiglynne, two scooped settlements 660m and 750m SSE 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 SM12620.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Milton,Roman fort,fortlet & camps (4.2 km), Poldean, standing stone 110m SSW of (4.8 km), Catharine's Hill, settlement 620m N of Nether Murthat (5.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Craiglynne, two scooped settlements 660m and 750m SSE 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.
Craiglynne, two scooped settlements 660m and 750m SSE of stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.