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Pitcur souterrain is an Iron Age underground stone-built structure located in Angus, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. Souterrains are characteristic of the later Iron Age in eastern Scotland, typically comprising one or more long underground passages constructed beneath or beside settlements. Their precise function remains debated by archaeologists, though they may have served for storage, refuge, or ritual purposes.
The souterrain at Pitcur is situated on bedrock composed of the Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, a Pragian sandstone formation with subsidiary conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone strata. The local geology would have been suitable for underground construction, though the varied rock types would have presented different challenges during excavation and lining of the passage.
As an Iron Age monument in Angus, Pitcur forms part of the significant concentration of souterrains found across eastern Scotland, particularly in the fertile lowlands and river valleys of the region. These structures represent the engineering capability and settlement patterns of Iron Age communities in northern Britain, constructed at a time when hill forts and defended settlements were prevalent across the landscape.
Pitcur,souterrain NNE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM357. View the official record →
Pitcur souterrain is an Iron Age underground stone-built structure located in Angus, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM357.
Pitcur,souterrain NNE of dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a souterrain. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Pitcur,souterrain NNE 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 SM357.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castlehill, barrows 210m SE of (7.5 km), Pitmiddle,deserted village (7.8 km), Woodburnhead, cairns 700m & 760m W of (8.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Pitcur,souterrain NNE 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.
Pitcur,souterrain NNE of stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.