© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Moodlaw is a settlement located 600 metres south of the village of Moodlaw in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The site sits upon bedrock of the Hawick Group, a wacke formation dating to the Wenlock period of the Silurian. This hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock would have presented considerable challenges to prehistoric and early medieval inhabitants seeking to establish a settlement, yet its presence across the landscape reflects the geological character of the Southern Uplands in this region.
The settlement represents a phase of human occupation in the rolling upland terrain of Dumfriesshire. Such settlements in this area typically show evidence of habitation spanning several periods, with their locations determined by access to water, shelter, and grazing land rather than geological ease of construction. The Hawick Group bedrock, though difficult to work, provides stable ground suitable for long-term settlement.
Moodlaw settlement is protected by Historic Environment Scotland and is recorded under the national monument register as SM4721. The site contributes to understanding patterns of settlement distribution across the uplands of south-west Scotland and the ways in which communities adapted to the challenging terrain and climate of this region throughout history.
Moodlaw,settlement 600m S of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4721. View the official record →
Moodlaw is a settlement located 600 metres south of the village of Moodlaw in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4721.
Moodlaw,settlement 600m 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 SM4721.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The Knowe, settlement 300m S of Castle O'er Farm (8.5 km), Bankburnfoot, settlement 1550m WSW of (8.6 km), Shielburn,settlement 350m NW of (9.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Moodlaw,settlement 600m 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.
Moodlaw,settlement 600m S of stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.