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Dalfad, chapel and burial ground 250m SE of is a medieval religious site in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. The chapel and its associated burial ground occupy land underlain by felsic igneous rock formed during the Early Devonian period, part of an unnamed intrusion that shaped the local geology. This bedrock foundation would have presented particular challenges for medieval builders constructing stone foundations and graves.
The site represents a typical pattern of medieval religious provision in rural Aberdeenshire, where small chapels served local communities for worship and burial. The combination of chapel and burial ground indicates a place of sustained spiritual significance, likely serving a small catchment of farms and settlements across the surrounding landscape. Such sites often developed near established routeways or centres of landholding.
Protected as a scheduled monument under reference SM10732, Dalfad preserves evidence of medieval devotional life in the northeast of Scotland. The survival of both structural remains and burial ground offers potential for understanding local settlement patterns, religious practice and land use during the medieval period. The site's relationship to the surrounding terrain and geology reflects the practical constraints and opportunities that medieval communities faced in choosing locations for their sacred places.
Dalfad, chapel and burial ground 250m SE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10732. View the official record →
Dalfad, chapel and burial ground 250m SE of is a medieval religious site in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10732.
Dalfad, chapel and burial ground 250m SE of dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a chapel and burial ground. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dalfad, chapel and burial ground 250m SE 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 SM10732.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bridge on Old Military Road over Burn of Tornahaish (6.5 km), Braes of Fintoch, shieling group 760m SW of Cairn of Gilderoy (6.7 km), Newe's Craig, still 3950m NE of Morven Lodge (7.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dalfad, chapel and burial ground 250m SE 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.
Dalfad, chapel and burial ground 250m SE of stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.