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Rubha nan Sidhean is a cupmarked rocks and fish trap located at Kirkibost in Scotland. The monument comprises two distinct elements of archaeological significance: a series of cupmarked rocks and the remains of a fish trap. The cupmarks are shallow, circular depressions pecked into the bedrock surface, a form of rock art created by prehistoric peoples whose exact purposes remain debated among archaeologists, though ritual, territorial or astronomical functions have been proposed. The fish trap represents a more practical application of the landscape, constructed to exploit local watercourses and coastal resources.
The site rests upon Proterozoic gneiss, an ancient metamorphic bedrock formed during the Mesoproterozoic era over 1,000 million years ago. This hard, crystalline foundation would have provided a suitable surface for both the creation of cupmarks and the construction of fish traps using natural stone features. The location at Rubha nan Sidhean, a coastal promontory, made it ideally positioned for harvesting marine and estuarine resources.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled ancient monument under reference SM5410, recognising its archaeological importance and the need to preserve these tangible records of early human activity in the Scottish landscape.
Rubha nan Sidhean,cupmarked rocks and fish trap,Kirkibost is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5410. View the official record →
Rubha nan Sidhean is a cupmarked rocks and fish trap located at Kirkibost in Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5410.
Rubha nan Sidhean,cupmarked rocks and fish trap,Kirkibost 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 SM5410.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Macra's Church,Kirkibost (0.9 km), Airigh Mhaoldonuich,fallen standing stone (1.6 km), Aird Callanish,cairn 200m SW of,Crulivig (2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rubha nan Sidhean,cupmarked rocks and fish trap,Kirkibost'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.
Rubha nan Sidhean,cupmarked rocks and fish trap,Kirkibost stands on Proterozoic I gneiss, bedrock that formed in the Mesoproterozoic. The rock here is gneiss; undifferentiated metamorphic.