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Play Hill is a settlement situated in Midlothian, Scotland. The site lies on bedrock of the Clackmannan Group, sedimentary strata laid down during the Westphalian period. This geological foundation of sandstone and mudstone would have provided a stable base for occupation. The settlement is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6231, reflecting its significance to the archaeological record of the region.
The character of Play Hill as a settlement reflects patterns of rural habitation in Midlothian. Settlements of this type typically comprised dwellings and associated structures arranged across the landscape, their positioning influenced by access to water, arable land and natural shelter. The local geology, with its sequence of sedimentary rocks, would have shaped both the ease of construction and the agricultural potential of the surrounding territory.
Today, Play Hill remains an important archaeological resource for understanding the development of settlement patterns in the Lothians. Its scheduled monument status ensures the protection of subsurface deposits and structural remains that may yet yield evidence of the settlement's date, layout and economy. Such sites contribute materially to our understanding of how communities utilised and organised the Scottish landscape.
Play Hill, settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6231. View the official record →
Play Hill is a settlement situated in Midlothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6231.
Play Hill, settlement 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 SM6231.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Crichton Castle (0.9 km), Loquhariot,fort 500m SW of (2.3 km), Saughland,enclosure 150m W of (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Play Hill, settlement'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.
Play Hill, settlement stands on Clackmannan Group, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, clackmannan group type.