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South Seatter Mound is a prehistoric earthwork situated 220 metres north-north-east of Yesnaby in Orkney, Scotland. The mound rises from bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a conglomerate and sandstone formation laid down during the Middle Devonian period approximately 380 million years ago. This underlying geology, characteristic of the Orkney Islands, would have been exposed as bare rock or thin soil cover to the communities who constructed the mound during the Bronze Age or Iron Age, and its weathered surface provided the raw material foundation for the earthwork's construction.
The mound survives as a substantial upstanding feature in the Orkney landscape, distinctive enough to retain a local name and to have been formally recorded in the archaeological record. Its isolated position on Orkney's moorland emphasises the intentional placement of such monuments by prehistoric communities, often sited to command views across the surrounding terrain or to mark territorial boundaries and gathering places.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduled monument reference SM1380, recognising its archaeological significance and ensuring its preservation as a resource for understanding Orkney's prehistoric settlement patterns and land use.
South Seatter, mound 220m NNE of, Yesnaby is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1380. View the official record →
South Seatter Mound is a prehistoric earthwork situated 220 metres north-north-east of Yesnaby in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1380.
South Seatter, mound 220m NNE of, Yesnaby 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 SM1380.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Burn of Selta, farmsteads, field system and associated remains (3.8 km), Skae Frue, mound 300m SW of Buckan (5.2 km), Ring of Bookan,chambered cairn 180m SW of Bookan (5.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of South Seatter, mound 220m NNE of, Yesnaby'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.
South Seatter, mound 220m NNE of, Yesnaby stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.