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Sourhope scooped settlement is a medieval or post-medieval domestic site located in Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders. The settlement comprises a series of shallow, sunken platforms excavated into the hillside, a characteristic form of settlement construction found throughout the upland regions of southern Scotland. The scooped or terraced nature of these dwellings provided shelter from exposure and improved drainage on sloping ground, making efficient use of marginal land for habitation.
The site lies upon bedrock composed of Silurian to Devonian extrusive rocks, specifically mafic lava and tuff formed during the Devonian period. This geological foundation of ancient volcanic material would have shaped both the settlement's construction and the surrounding landscape available to its inhabitants. The upland setting reflects the pastoral economy of the region, with settlements positioned to access moorland and rough grazing.
The settlement is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4745, recognising its importance to understanding patterns of rural settlement and land use in the Scottish Borders. Though modest in scale and now abandoned, Sourhope represents the archaeological evidence of communities who adapted their building practices to the challenging terrain and climate of the Scottish uplands.
Sourhope,scooped settlement 1050m ENE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4745. View the official record →
Sourhope scooped settlement is a medieval or post-medieval domestic site located in Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4745.
Sourhope,scooped settlement 1050m ENE 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 SM4745.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Outer Cock Law, old roads and linear earthwork (4 km), Windy Gyle,cairns 480m & 700m NE of summit of (4.9 km), Round cairn west of Windy Gyle, 680m WNW of Russell's Cairn (5.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Sourhope,scooped settlement 1050m ENE 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.
Sourhope,scooped settlement 1050m ENE of stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.