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Midmar Church, settlement and motte is a medieval monument complex in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, comprising three distinct elements reflecting the settlement hierarchy of the medieval period. The site sits upon bedrock of felsic igneous material formed during the Early Devonian, creating a landscape of acidic soils characteristic of upland Aberdeenshire. The motte, locally known as Cunningar, represents the defensive stronghold of a medieval lordship, whilst the adjacent church and settlement indicate the close association between ecclesiastical, residential and military functions typical of Scottish medieval communities. These three components—motte, church and inhabited area—developed together over centuries, their proximity demonstrating how religious, domestic and aristocratic life were spatially and socially integrated in medieval rural Scotland.
The monument is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM100. The survival of all three elements at Midmar provides evidence of medieval settlement organisation in north-east Scotland, where the locally founded igneous geology would have influenced both building materials and land use patterns of medieval inhabitants.
Midmar, Church, settlement and (Cunningar) motte is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM100. View the official record →
Midmar Church, settlement and motte is a medieval monument complex in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, comprising three distinct elements reflecting the settlement hierarchy of the medieval period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM100.
Midmar, Church, settlement and (Cunningar) motte dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a church, settlement and (cunningar) motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Midmar, Church, settlement and (Cunningar) motte 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 SM100.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Christchurch, stone circle and standing stone, Midmar (0.6 km), Sunhoney,stone circle 240m NW of (1.5 km), Auchmore Farm, hut circle 80m NW of (2.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Midmar, Church, settlement and (Cunningar) motte'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.
Midmar, Church, settlement and (Cunningar) motte stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.