Mound 420m WNW of Ballaggan Croy and Dalcross, Scotland

Text courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

Cultural Significance

The monument's archaeological significance can be expressed as follows:

Intrinsic characteristics: Excavation of other sites shows us that the remains associated with Clava cairns can include stone platforms enclosed by a circle or 'kerb' of stones, larger surrounding stone circles, burial chambers, and rubble banks or 'rays' joining them as well as other features. They have a complex history of development. Given that this monument was unknown until recently and is apparently undisturbed, there is great potential for good preservation of a range of these features beneath the grass mound. This has the potential to help us to better understand the construction and use of this site and others like it. Potential also exists for preservation of the old ground surface beneath the mound, providing information about the prehistoric environment that existed at the time of its construction and use. The monument has good potential to contribute to our future understanding of Bronze-Age funerary and ritual practices.

Contextual characteristics: This monument is an example of a small, regionally defined group of around 50 prehistoric monuments, known as Clava cairns, which we only find in the Inverness and Moray Firth area, particularly along river valleys and low ground S of the Firth. This monument forms part of an extensive, rare and very important cemetery that we believe was intended to be viewed as a single entity. Topographically, the monuments tend to have a dominant position in relation to the immediate location only, rather than to the wider landscape.

Associative characteristics: It is the view of most prehistorians that there was an intimate relationship between the religious beliefs expressed by monuments such as here, the surrounding landscape and the movements of the main astronomical bodies. This astronomical link continues to generate considerable interest today. The importance of the relict prehistoric landscape that includes this site is recognised by the fact that many of its component monuments are in the care of the Scottish Ministers.

National Importance

This monument is of national importance because it is a potentially undisturbed example of a rare and regionally distinctive class of Early Bronze-Age monument. It can help us understand burial and ritual practices in NE Scotland and their relationship to practices elsewhere in the British Isles. It is a key component of an extensive and well-preserved cemetery and has the potential to provide important information about the activities that took place here and how these contribute to the development of this ceremonial landscape as a whole. Its loss would affect our future ability to appreciate and understand the prehistoric landscape and its inhabitants.