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Kirkstones is a settlement located 1650 metres south-south-west of Stroupster in Caithness, northern Scotland. The site occupies ground underlain by Middle Old Red Sandstone, a diverse sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone deposited during the Middle Devonian period. This bedrock geology would have influenced both the construction materials available to settlers and the drainage characteristics of the landscape.
The settlement represents a phase of human occupation in the interior of Caithness, an area characterised by moorland and peatland with scattered lochs. The site's location on the undulating terrain of this region reflects patterns of settlement distribution across northern Scotland during periods when such upland areas supported pastoral and agricultural communities.
Kirkstones is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland, registered under reference SM4636. This designation recognises its archaeological significance and ensures provision for its long-term preservation and study. The monument contributes to understanding the settlement history and land-use patterns of Caithness across different historical periods.
Kirkstones,settlement 1650m SSW of Stroupster is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4636. View the official record →
Kirkstones is a settlement located 1650 metres south-south-west of Stroupster in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4636.
Kirkstones,settlement 1650m SSW of Stroupster 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 SM4636.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Green Hill of Clayton,settlement WSW of Hill of Clayton (1.6 km), Kirk Tofts,broch,Keiss (3.9 km), Hill of Works,broch 550m ESE of Barrock House (4.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kirkstones,settlement 1650m SSW of Stroupster'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.
Kirkstones,settlement 1650m SSW of Stroupster stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.