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Fetterdale is an unenclosed settlement located 300 metres north-west of the village of Fetterdale in Fife. The site sits upon bedrock of the Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, a Pragian formation comprising sandstone interbedded with conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone. This geology characterises the lower Devonian landscape of north-east Scotland, providing both stone suitable for construction and underlying drainage properties relevant to settlement location.
The settlement lacks formal defensive boundaries, distinguishing it from the fort and dun sites also recorded in Fife. Unenclosed settlements of this type represent domestic occupation without perimeter fortifications, suggesting communities who relied on other social structures or topographical position for security. The Fetterdale example contributes to understanding non-nucleated settlement patterns across medieval and post-medieval rural Fife.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM6909, recognising its archaeological significance. The survival of structural evidence at Fetterdale allows investigation of settlement form, building techniques and land use patterns across the Fife countryside, where such unenclosed sites remain poorly understood compared to their more visibly impressive fortified counterparts elsewhere in Scotland.
Fetterdale, unenclosed settlement 300m NW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6909. View the official record →
Fetterdale is an unenclosed settlement located 300 metres north-west of the village of Fetterdale in Fife. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6909.
Fetterdale, unenclosed settlement 300m 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 SM6909.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Leuchars Castle, unenclosed settlement 320m NNE of (3.8 km), Leuchars Castle, settlement 200m and 400m W of and 240m WNW of (4.2 km), Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains (4.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Fetterdale, unenclosed settlement 300m 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.
Fetterdale, unenclosed settlement 300m NW of stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.