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Derry Burn shielings is a cluster of seasonal summer dwellings situated on the upland slopes of Aberdeenshire, extending some 550 metres along the eastern banks of Lochan Uaine. These structures represent the traditional pastoral landscape of the Scottish Highlands, where communities moved livestock to high ground for summer grazing. The site sits upon ancient felsic igneous rock intruded during the Early Devonian period, creating the rugged granite and felsite terrain characteristic of this area. This geology would have influenced settlement patterns, with the moorland suitable for extensive cattle herding whilst remaining challenging terrain for cultivation.
The shielings comprise multiple turf and stone structures positioned across the hillslope between 1150 and 1700 metres south-east of the lochan. Such sites typically functioned seasonally, with herders and their families occupying these simple dwellings during the summer months whilst animals grazed the surrounding pasture. The scattered distribution across the terrain suggests an adaptation to local topography and water resources, with proximity to the burn providing essential fresh water.
Today, the remains survive as grass-covered mounds and stone foundations across the moorland, evidence of an agricultural system that sustained Highland communities for centuries. The site is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland reference SM7695, recognising its archaeological and cultural importance in understanding traditional pastoral economies.
Derry Burn, shielings 1150m SE of to 1700m SE of Lochan Uaine is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7695. View the official record →
Derry Burn shielings is a cluster of seasonal summer dwellings situated on the upland slopes of Aberdeenshire, extending some 550 metres along the eastern banks of Lochan Uaine. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7695.
Derry Burn, shielings 1150m SE of to 1700m SE of Lochan Uaine 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 SM7695.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Alltan na Beinne, shielings 1600m SE of Carn Allt na Beinne (5.6 km), Lui Water, townships 800m to 2780m SE of Derry Lodge (5.7 km), Mar, townships, enclosures, stills, kilns, Dubrach to E of Dalvorar (8.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Derry Burn, shielings 1150m SE of to 1700m SE of Lochan Uaine'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.
Derry Burn, shielings 1150m SE of to 1700m SE of Lochan Uaine stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.