Update on Damage to Historic Stone Dykes?
On May 1st, damage was reported to the historic stone dykes in the Kingswells area. In response, we contacted Historic Environment Scotland (HES), who have now kindly provided the following official information and granted permission to share it with the community.
What Are the Consumption Dykes?
Rough’s Cairn and the surrounding consumption dykes (Scheduled Monument SM43) are part of a nationally significant archaeological site. These features are protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, and any work on them — including damage, repairs, removal, or alterations — requires written permission from HES.
As explained by Dr Ágústa Edwald Maxwell, Senior Ancient Monuments Officer at HES:
“It is an offence under the Act to undertake such works without written permission. The penalties are considerable — with fines of up to £50,000 or prison sentences of up to two years.”
Consumption dykes are unique to northeast Scotland and served a dual purpose: clearing stones from farmland and creating boundary markers. The area around Kingswells and Newhills is thought to be where these dykes first appeared. Three of the finest examples still exist right here in our community — at Rough’s Cairn, East Dyke, and Broad Dyke.
Protecting Our Local Heritage
We’re grateful to HES for their swift response and for providing signage and explanatory material to help protect this important monument. Raising awareness is key to preventing further damage.
For those interested in learning more or reading the legal details, you can visit the official HES page for the site here: Scheduled Monument SM43.
Let’s all do our part to preserve these unique features of our landscape — not just for today, but for generations to come.