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Kinbattoch homestead moat is a medieval domestic settlement located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, protected by Historic Environment Scotland. The monument consists of a moat—an artificial water-filled or water-retaining ditch—that once surrounded a timber or stone dwelling, a common defensive feature of minor gentry and prosperous farmers from the 12th century onwards. The site lies on bedrock of the Argyll Group, Neoproterozoic metamorphic rocks comprising psammite, semipelite and pelite, which would have provided the clay and stone necessary for construction and the retention of water within the moat itself.
The homestead moat represents a distinct phase of rural settlement in mediaeval Scotland, distinct from both the great castles of nobility and the undefended steading houses of peasant farmers. The water-filled enclosure served practical purposes: defence against raiders, stock control and status display for a minor landholding family. Though the original structure above ground has not survived, the earthwork preserves evidence of the settlement's former extent and social standing within the mediaeval landscape.
Kinbattoch, homestead moat 575m S of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11586. View the official record →
Kinbattoch homestead moat is a medieval domestic settlement located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, protected by Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11586.
Kinbattoch, homestead moat 575m S 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 SM11586.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Milton of Whitehouse, souterrain 200m NNE of (7.2 km), Corrachree, symbol stone 260m NW of, Tarland (7.5 km), Melgum Lodge, mound 300m SE of (7.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kinbattoch, homestead moat 575m S 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.
Kinbattoch, homestead moat 575m S of stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.