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Midshiels Mound is a substantial earthwork located in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. The monument survives as a prominent mound constructed on bedrock of Hawick Group wacke, a hard sedimentary stone formed during the Wenlock period of the Silurian epoch. The local geology of grey-green wacke and associated shales would have provided building material and shaped the landscape in which this earthwork was created.
The mound represents a significant investment in labour and construction, though its precise original function remains uncertain. Such monuments in the region may have served defensive, ceremonial or commemorative purposes, reflecting the importance of the site within its contemporary community or landscape. The survival of the earthwork into the modern period suggests it was substantial enough to resist agricultural erosion over many centuries.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2143. This designation recognises its archaeological significance as an upstanding example of mound construction in the Borders, contributing to understanding of settlement, ritual and territorial organisation in this region during periods when such monuments were built and maintained.
Midshiels,mound is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2143. View the official record →
Midshiels Mound is a substantial earthwork located in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2143.
Midshiels,mound 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 SM2143.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kaim Law,fort (5 km), Hawick Moat Park, motte (5 km), Kirkton Hill,fort (5.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Midshiels,mound'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.
Midshiels,mound stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.