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Papa Stronsay Burnt Mound is a Bronze Age or Iron Age monument located 500 metres east of the mill on Papa Stronsay in Orkney, Scotland. Burnt mounds are archaeological sites characterised by accumulations of heat-fractured stone, typically the remains of cooking or heating structures used by prehistoric communities. This example survives as a visible earthwork testament to domestic or industrial activity, likely dating to the later prehistoric period when such monuments were widely distributed across northern Scotland and other regions.
The site rests upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, formed during the Middle Devonian period. This geology comprised conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone that shaped both the landscape and the availability of stone for the inhabitants who created the mound. The fractured rocks scattered across burnt mound sites often derive from heated local stone, suggesting communities exploited readily available geology for their needs.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under designation SM9288, recognising its archaeological and historical significance. The survival of this burnt mound contributes to understanding prehistoric settlement patterns and domestic practices in Orkney, where such sites provide rare physical evidence of Bronze and Iron Age life.
Papa Stronsay, burnt mound 500m E of Mill is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9288. View the official record →
Papa Stronsay Burnt Mound is a Bronze Age or Iron Age monument located 500 metres east of the mill on Papa Stronsay in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9288.
Papa Stronsay, burnt mound 500m E of Mill 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 SM9288.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Earls Knoll,long cairn & windmill SSW of East House (0.3 km), Papa Stronsay, kelp kiln 120m N of Mill (0.6 km), Doocot Knowe,broch,Papa Stronsay (0.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Papa Stronsay, burnt mound 500m E of Mill'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.
Papa Stronsay, burnt mound 500m E of Mill stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.