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Home , Aberdeenshire, Burgh

Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 129 (1999), 649-661

The burgh of , : archaeological evidence from a medieval lordship Stephen P Carter*

ABSTRACT This paper offers a review of recent archaeological investigations in Inverurie and places them in the historical context of the 12th-century Lordship of . Results of excavations in the Stunners, close to the Bass of Inverurie, suggest that this was not the original location of the burgh. The probable site modernburgh ofthe the on High produce to Street failed evidencefar has any so for medieval activity. This negative result is explained by reference to the likely nature and function of burgh 12th13ththe the and in centuries. suggestedis It that burghs like Inverurie have littlein common with the better-known trading burghs and should be treated as components of a medieval lordship.

INVERURTE AND THE BURGH SURVEY: ARCHAEOLOGICAL AGENDA 1970e th n ssurga I f interes eo archaeologe th n i t f medievayo l Scottish burghs highlighteo dtw issues: the potential for significant results from archaeological investigation contrasting strongly wit lace knowledghf th k o archaeologicae th f eo l depositd en burghs e e th almos n th f s i o y l B . al t onls 1970e o fAberdeeth n y wa i t si Pertd nan h tha archaeologicae th t l potentia beed ha ln realized extenty an her d resulte o t ,an e th s were extremely encouraging (Holdsworth 1987; Murray 1982). Progress in these two burghs was consolidated by the establishment of the Urban Archaeology Uni PertCitn e i t Aberdeeth f 197n y ho i d 8an n Archaeologica lfollowin e Unith n i t g yearn a n I . attemp addreso t widee sth r lac knowledgf ko e abou medievae th t l burghs placo t d e an ,futur e archaeological worfira mn ko footing 197n i , e the6th n Ancient Monuments Divisioe th f no Department of the Environment established the Scottish Burgh Survey in the Department of Archaeology, Universit f Glasgoyo w (Murray 1984). Ove yearperioa x r si f so d fro m 197o 7t 1983 Gourla Turner& y latterld an , y Turner-Simpso Stevenson& n , researche produced dan d summary reporthistore th archaeologd n so yan Scottis3 5 f yo h burghs Murras A . y (1984s ha ) 8 , noted, the choice of burghs for the survey was somewhat random with no explicit criteria for selectio emphasie th t clearls earliee nbu th swa n yro foundations (pre-1450), base Pryde'n do s (1965) list of settlements with burgh status. repore Th Inverurin o t e (Gourla earlies e Turne produceye & th b f o o t re y 1977on db s )wa the Scottish Burgh typicas Survewa reporte smallemanf e d o lth th y an f n yo o sr burghs: scanty early documentatio a s lacwel a f nrecens o ka l t archaeological work left basic questions unanswered abou histor e burghe th t historth e f yo Th . Inverurief yo summarizes a , Gourlay db y

* Headland Archaeology Ltd, Albion Business Centre, 78 Albion Road, EH7 5QZ | SOCIET 0 65 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1999

& Turner brie s i ,straightforwardd fan r interpretatioFo . n they relied primaril Reve th dn y o Joh n Davidson's monumental Inverurie and the Earldom of the Garioch, published in 1878, with more recent analysis by W Douglas Simpson (1943; 1949). The origins of Inverurie lie in a substantial grant of land in the Garioch by King William I to his younger brother David in 1178 x 1182. David, soon to become Earl of Huntingdon, established the caput of his new Lordship at Inverurie and by the end of the century he had constructed a (the Bass of Inverurie), moved parise th h churc Inverurio ht founded ean burghda . Afte earle th r y decade 13te th h f scenturo y the records fail and Inverurie's role in the Wars of Independence is not explicitly documented. A substantial documentary record startd 16tmi h s e centuronlth n yi y wit e re-creatiohth f o n Inveruri royaa s ea l burgh under Queen Mar 1558n yi . Gourlay & Turner (1977, 7) identified two principal archaeological issues requiring attentio Inverurien i . First questioe , therth origina e s th ef wa no l locatio originae th f no l burgh. Accordin Simpsoo gt n (1943, 127 areknown w Stannera e ) athis th no sout e s nswa a th f ho o st the Bas enclosed sconfluencan e th Urid y Riverde an b e th n (illuf eo sDo s suggeste1)e H . d that the burgh was moved, perhaps in the early 14th century, to the present High Street when the declining need for defence was balanced by the advantages of a site off the floodplain of the Don. Simpso direco n d tn ha evidenc thir efo s histor Gourlad yan Turney& r treate witt d cautioni e hdu . It should be noted that their reference (Gourlay & Turner 1977, 8) to cropmarks of timber building Stannere th n si s arises fro mmisunderstandina musd gdiscountean e b t I Shepherdd( , pers comm). Regardles e lac f th evidenceo k f o s , Simpson's assertion inevitably raisee th d question: where was the original site of the burgh? The second issue emphasized by Gourlay & Turner was the need to date the development and expansion of the burgh on its present site. Progres botn o s f thesho e issues required archaeological investigatio thed nan y recommended that all development sites shoul investigatede db , both withi presene nth t histori cHige corth ht ea Street and in the Stanners beside the Bass (areas marked in illus 1). Since 1977 the Burgh Survey report on Inverurie has acted as a trigger for archaeological investigations in the burgh and, to date, there have been five development-led investigations. Ther alss eha o been progres fiele historicaf th d o n si l research culminatin publicatioe th n gi f no the study by Keith Stringer (1985) of Earl David of Huntingdon, the founder of the burgh of Inverurie. The purpose of the present report is therefore twofold: to assess the findings of the recent archaeological and historical investigations and to discuss the implications for our understanding of the history of Inverurie; and, in the light of these findings, to review our current approach as archaeologists to the small medieval burghs and, in particular, highlight the role of the Lordships in the creation and shaping of burghs in .

RECENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN INVERURIE

WATCHING BRIEFS AND TRIAL TRENCHING ON THE HIGH STREET, 1988-93 Redevelopmen lanf o t d withi burgvicinite e corHige e th th nr f th th n eho i hf fa y o o Strees s ha t led to four small-scale archaeological investigations (see illus 1 for site locations). These were typical urban evaluations comprising watching brief r limiteo s d trial trenchin l yieldeal d dgan negativ medievae th es a result r lfa burgs sa concerneds hi featureo N . artefactr so medievaf so r o l early post-medieval date were noted durinthesf o y eg an investigations . CARTER: BURG F INVERURIHO 1 65 I E

ILLU S1 Inverurie modere :th n tow locationd nan archaeologicaf so l investigations (BasedOrdnancee th n o Survey map © Crown copyright) | SOCIET 2 65 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1999

Conyng Hillock Watching Brief (1988) Shepherd:I , Regional Council (DBS 1988) 14 , A watching brie maintaines fwa d durin erectioe gth dwellina f no g hous garagd ean e nea base rConynth f eo g Hillock. This substantial prehistoric funerary mound, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, was the primary watchintargee th f o t moune g th brie t dbu f also lies within former burgh backland wese th e t n sidsth o f eo High Street.

31-35 High Street Watching Brief (1992) Moloney:C , Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust A watching brie maintaines fwa d during construction wor backlanda n ko s site behind 31-35 High Street.

84-86 High Street Trial Trenches (1993): R Cachart, Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust (DBS 1993, 34) Five trial trenches were excavate backlande frontagth e n th i n d o thif esan o s property frontage Th . s ewa disturbed by a modern cellar; in the backlands there was a deep topsoil with a number of features containing modern artefacts.

63 Market Place Watching Brief (1993) MackenzieR :J , Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust (DBS 1993) 34 , Monitorin foundatiof go n trenches stree e closth o ett frontage revealed only modern deposits.

EXCAVATIONS IN THE STANNERS The fifth archaeological investigation in Inverurie was undertaken by Headland Archaeology early in 1998 and involved the evaluation of a 5 ha site in the northern part of the Stanners, adjacen Base th Inverurif so o t t resulte (illu Th summarize e . sar s2) d fula her d l accounean s ha t been deposite Nationae th t da l Monuments Recor Scotlanf do d (RCAHMS Aberdeenshird )an e Sites and Monuments Record. Excavation revealed deep accumulation f alluviuso m ove Stannere th r s which continued belo watertablee wth . Occasional fragment potterf o sspindla d yan e whorl were recovered from isolate w alluviue fe th a dd mfeaturean uncertaif so n origin were identified below alluviue th mt a lower limi excavationf o t bel A .infillef o t d river channel locates northere swa th t da ne edgth f eo Stanners, running parallel and adjacent to the Keithhall Road (illus 2). A substantial assemblage of medieval potter s recoverewa y d froe channemth l filln Trenci s . AnalysiA h f thio s s assemblag sherd6 13 Dere y f b seo k Hall (SUAT) identified three principal types: East Coast Redware (54 weight)y %b , Yorkshire Ware (36% d Whitan ) e Gritty Ware (4%) e sherdTh . s derived predominantly from a 13th jug d 14th-centuro t -san y dat bees eha n proposee th r dfo assemblage muce Th . h smaller collectio potterf no y fro alluviue mth sherds5 msimilaa (2 d )ha r composition with the exception of single sherds of post-14th-century Low Redware and 15th- to 18th-century Reduced Greyware. The pottery provides a terminus post quern date for infilline rivee th th f r go channel fille th s t coulsbu significantle db y late potter e daten ri th f s i yha been re-deposited sampleo Tw . woof so d from waterlogged basal channel fills were radiocarbon date provido dt independenn ea estimatee ag t . However resulte th , s indicate tha wooe f o th t s di Late /Early Iron Age date and must have been reworked from older fluvial deposits. CARTER: BURG F INVERURIHO 3 65 I E

Stannerse ILLUTh S2 , Inverurie: locatio f 199no 8 archaeological investigations

DISCUSSION

ORIGINAE TH L BURG STANNERSE TH HN I ? excavatione Th f 199so 8 represente firse dth t opportunit teso yt t Simpson's (1943) proposal that the burg locates hwa protectea n di d positio Stannere th n no s fro foundatios mit untip nu e th l 14th century. The extensive trenching undertaken in 1998 failed to produce any positive evidence tha burge existeth td hha d here. Isolated features were encountered beneathe alluviuon n i t mbu case contained probable prehistoric potter othen i d ry an case s were apparently natural channels. The presence of considerable quantities of medieval pottery in the river channels requires explanation but there is no need to look any further than the adjacent castle. The assemblage 654 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1999

contain higsa h proportio f qualitno y Yorkshire Wares including aquamanile n para f o t , which woul witt dhigfi e hth h statusitee 13t e least th ,a th f hso n ti century . Negative evidence is always an unsatisfactory basis for interpretation and it remains arguable that remains of the original burgh do exist in the Stanners. However, a substantial body mustereoe fb evidencw no suggeso dn t eca t t leasthia s si t highly unlikely. The 1998 evaluation encountered deep deposits of alluvium in the Stanners on what is still floodplaie th n Uried terrac Rivere an th .n f Theseo s Do e deposits were principally overbank silts, created by the deposition of sediment during flooding by the rivers. The pottery found within this alluvium indicate metrp s to tha t lease medievaf ea o tth s i t later lo r date regulad ,an r floodins gha continue e presenth y (Tawso dt da t Alla& e n 1925) e channelTh . s encountered durine gth evaluation alon northere gth n floodplaie edgth f eo n appea maro rt kformea r cours Rivee th f reo whicn Do h must have flowed eastward Rivee th st rpas castlUrie me th td elittla e an e beloe wth present Urie bridge on the Keithhall Road (illus 3). Again, pottery indicates a medieval or later infilline channelse th dat th r f efo go e precis Th . e datin f thigo s fluvial activit crucias yi n a o t l interpretatio e 12th-centurth f no y topograph f Inverurieyo activeln A . y aggrading floodplain, evidence accumulatioe th y db overbane th f no k silts, woul t havdno e been chosee th sita r s enfo a burgh since it would have been uninhabitable due to flooding. Similarly, if the Don at that time flowed ha d adjacen castle th o et t there would have bee areo n n f lan ao d encircle rivery db n so which to locate the burgh, and the Stanners would not have existed. There is no evidence by which to date the onset of the aggradation of the floodplain. In part this reflects difficulties in excavating any deeper than the present-day watertable where pre-medieval alluvium might be encountered. It also reflects the limitation of the artefact-dating evidence which appears to be confined to a short period during which pottery was reasonably abundant in the 13th to 14th centuries. datin e formee th Th f go r bettecourss i Rivee n th rf erDo o understood earliese .Th t detailed map, Roy's Military Survey of Scotland (1747-55, sheet 30/1), shows the Don and Urie much as they are today, even the Broom Inch (illus 1) is present in the Don just below the older bridge. The main channel of the Don has migrated southwards to this course in recent centuries and formerly flowed Ducae oveth r w twha Haugno s i t h before turning sout floo ht w immediately adjacen medievae th o t t l churchyard (illus 1). Davidson (1878, 27-8) referre thio dt se areth s aa 'bankDon'd ol f so . Funds were provide 169n di ereco 8t bulwara t protectioe th r e kfo th f no churchyard against river erosion (Davidson 1878, 345) indicating that this channe activs lwa n ei late th e 17th century Stannere Th . s itsel referres fi detain i o ddocumentt n li s fro beginnine mth g 17te ofth h century onwards (Davidson 1878, 185 whicy )b h tim Doe eth n must have abandoned channee th l identified durin archaeologicae gth l excavation. This documentary evidence th r efo more recent coursDone th f ,eo combine d wit pottere hth y dating, restrict perioe sth d thae th t excavated channel must have been infilled to between the 13th and 16th centuries. Arguing from negative evidence absence th e i , latef eo r pottery channetypee th propose e n sb i y l fillsma t di , that shiften Do courss e dit th 14t e earls eth a hs ya century likelys i t I . , therefore, tha excavatee th t d channel does represent the course of the Don during the early history of the burgh. datin e fluviae Th th f go l evidence remain arguede sbalancb e imprecisn th n ca o ,t f i eo t ebu probabilities late , thath e n 12ti t h century when Earl Davi establishins d wa Lordshi w ne s ghi p centr t Inveruriea knowlan e w Stannere eth dth no s na simpls swa t suitabl yno locatioa s ea r nfo his burgh. The known later site on the High Street must be the most likely location for David's original burg thid hsan conclusio explores ni nexe th tn dsectioni othee .On r important conclusion follows froe archaeologicamth l evaluatio e Stannersth f o n t appeari : s thae castls th t wa e constructed on a site surrounded by water except for a tongue of land 100 m wide on its west side CARTER: BURG INVERURIF HO 5 65 I E

Archaeological Investigation

Roods documente n 15ti d h century

ILLU S3 Inverurie: reconstructio layouf no f 12th-centurto y settlement base archaeologican do historicad lan l data | SOCIET 6 65 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1999

between the Urie and Don, commanded by the Bass itself. The significance of this site with its obvious military advantages is discussed further below.

ORIGINAE TH L HIGBURGE TH HN HSTREETO ? conclusioe Th n arising fro archaeologicae mth l investigation Stannere th n si s seemn first ru s a o t t counter to the evidence that has accumulated over the past decade from the more limited investigation Hige th hn s i Street aln lO . four occasions ther bees eevidencha o nn medievar efo l activity t eveno , nsingla e residual sher medievaf do l potter laten yi r deposits unpublishen a n I . d report produced by the Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust after the most recent of these investigations at 84/86 High Street in 1993 (NMRS MS/957/45) the following conclusion was drawn:

From the results of this monitoring it may be argued that the modern does not lie on the remain e medievath f o s l burgh e absenc earliey Th .an f o er occupatio majoa n no r High Street frontag 84-8e [i e 6 High Street quits ]i e markeabsence residuay th an d f dean o l artefacts seemo st imply a different location. However it is still possible that major 19th-century redevelopment of the burgh scarped away any earlier deposits.

So, as in the Stanners, absence of evidence for the medieval burgh in the High Street was used to sugges thereforsitd e te th an tha t tno this e archaeologistswa s should look elsewhere otheo n t r bu ; sites have ever been proposed and there are no plausible locations. In the face of mounting negative evidenc e burgth r hfo e fro e archaeologistmth o possibltw s e explanatione b n ca s examined: first, that the medieval burgh never existed on the ground; second, that the medieval burgh did exist but remains archaeologically invisible. The documentary evidence for the early existence of the burgh was examined in detail by Davidson (1878 briefld an ) y reviewe Simpsoy db n (1943 Gourlad )an Turney& r (1977). More recent researc Stringey hb r (1985 identifies )ha d contemporary documents unknow Davidsoo nt n s significantlha d an y enlarge admittedle dth y tiny collectio f historicano l documents relatino gt Inverurie. Evidence that the burgh was actually established in the late 12th century is provided by records of land grants within the burgh. The earliest (dated before 1185) record the granting of burge toftth Inverurif n hi so Simoo et Roberd nan f Billinghao t m (Stringer 1985, Acta Earf o l . ThesDavi9) followee & e well-documentear de 8 th y db d burg e gran th tofa Lindoren f o hi t to s Abbey, part of a much larger grant of lands and revenues to this Abbey which was founded by Earl David. This grant is dated to 1190 x 1195 by a charter of confirmation from William I (Barrow 1971, 358). Continued interes developmene th n ti burge th f documentehs to i furthey db r grant Lindoreo st s Abbe Eary yb l David' Johnn sso t som A . e time afte successios hi r s hi o nt father's titles (1219 x 1237), Earl John granted the Abbey his rents in Inverurie, half a toft that had belonged to Robert de Bourtie, and roods held by Bernard and Utting Rufus (Lindores Cartulary XVII & XVIII). These various land grants do no more than confirm that blocks of land were laid out in the site of the new burgh; we gain no information about how the land was burge th w h usedevelopedho r do . Despite these limitations cleas i t i , r that land grants were made in the new burgh over a period of at least 35 years both to incoming Anglo-Normans and to the Abbey. Davidson's (1878 identificatio) 25 , earliese th f no t documented Lindores Abbey a tof s a t piec lanf eo d adjacen formee th o t r medieval parish church morappearo n e eb thao st n optimistic CARTER: BURG F INVERURIHO 7 65 [ E

speculation and cannot be confirmed. For evidence regarding the original location of the burgh it is necessary to work backwards from more recent documentary sources. Analysis of early 17th- century record Davidsoy sb n (1878, 389-98) shows thaburge th t t thaha t time compriseo dtw sets of parallel roods laid out along either side of the 850 m long High Street: the Upper Roods to th Lowee e th wes d rroa te an Rood ease th df th t o (illu o st s 3). Davidson calculated that originally there may have been 108 roods on each side (ie 12 groups of nine roods) and he related this to the so-called 'twelfth part' lands which were other burgh lands held through ownershi f burgpo h roods. This 17th-century burgh layout can be traced back before the 1558 re-foundation of Inverurie through a surviving group of six dispositions dating from 1464 to 1486 which relate to rents from burgh roods. The locations of these roods, according to Davidson (1878, 118), are show thed illuclearln e i an y ar s 3 y spread throughou 17th-centure th t y burgh. This demonstrates two important points: first tha Hige th t h Street burgh lateste wasth t late-medievaa ,a , l creation and, second t enlargeno s , thawa d t ti substantiall post-medievae th n yi l period (contra Gourlay& Turner 1977) relevano .N t documents survive fro perioe mth d betwee earle nlatth e yth e 13td han 15th century so it is necessary to speculate as to the likely origins of what by Scottish standards is larga e coherent burgh plan onle Th y. plausible historical contex sucr ambitioufo tn ha s scheme is Inverurie as caput for the Lordship of Garioch under Earl David in the late 12th century. In 1251 the Garioch lands were inherited through marriage by the Bruce Lords of Annandale. In Regalite 1326th s a , Gariochf yo , they becam marriage eth e portio Christiaf no n Bruce, sistef ro King Robert I, and were inherited by the Earls of Mar who were descendants of her first husband, ultimately passin Crowe th o g1435t n n i . Ther evidenco n s ei thesf eo thay e an tsuperior e th f so Lordship or Regality during the poorly documented later medieval period were closely involved with Inverurie.

TH EMEDIEVAE BURGTH D HAN L LORDSHIP The results obtained from 20 years of opportunistic archaeological investigation in Inverurie can hardl describee yb substantials da difficultiee Th . f excavatino s g within existing town wele sar l recognized: small areas, randomly selecte developmeny db t pressures, will rarely prove individu- usefue b all o yt l archaeological samplesargues i t i t d Bu .tha accumulatioe th t fragmentf no f o s information will ultimately yield useful insights into the history of a settlement. In some cases this optimism appears havo t e been justified: r examplefo , , where Hal Bowle& l r (1998) have demonstrated the progress achieved in understanding the development and functionin thif go s small burgh face morf th e o n I . e positive results from other burgh eass i t so yi t dismiss Inverurie's results as 'disappointing', place them to one side, and wait for more evidence to accumulate. However, it is argued here that this attitude is based on misplaced expectations of what a burgh such as Inverurie should yield. The archaeological results can both support our current understandin histor e burge th actuallth f d gf o y ho an y enhance that understanding. motivatioe Th creatioe th r nfo burghf no s tha moss i t t often stresse promotioe th s di f no trade, in particular foreign trade, and burgh status is closely linked with trading monopolies and other related privileges. However, military or administrative functions were also significant and even the primary function of burghs in some cases (Whyte 1995, 57). According to Stringer (1986) Inverurie is a clear example of a burgh established with military and administrative functions. The military significance of Inverurie relates to the wider political situation in the 12th century tha directld creatioe le t th Lordshie o yth t f no Gariochf po . Mora suppresses ywa a s da semi-independent territor 113n yi Daviy t 0repeateb bu dI d insurrections occurred througe hth later 12th centur Crowd yan n authority continue fragile b o thadn t i e t creatinn I . e gth | SOCIET 8 65 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1999

Lordship of Garioch in 1178 x 1180 William I gave control of the principal land-route into Mora Davido yt younges hi , r brothe thronee heith d purposs o an rt r Hi . clearls ewa securo yt e acces Morao st evene th furthef n yo ti r armed opposition route Th . e throug Garioce hth h passed between the extensive of the Earldoms of Mar and and William could not necessarily count on their allegiance. Earl David therefore established Inverurie as his principal military and administrative base from which to control his newly acquired Lordship. The military rol r Inveruriefo e probably diminished soon afte foundations it r earle th yy B 13t. h centure yth immediate threat created by instability in had receded and the Earldoms of Mar and Buchan had both passed by marriage into the hands of Anglo-Norman families, the Durwards and Comyns. Constables of Inverurie Castle are documented up to 1248 but the fact that the t apparentlcastlno d edi y featur evente War e 13te th th Independencth f n f hesi o f so o d en e th t ea century strongly suggests that it had already been abandoned. The castle probably also ceased to be the administrative centre for the Lordship after 1251 when the land passed to the Bruces and by 1359 busines certainls swa y being conducten Manoe Do th t e da Ardtannies f th r o p u m k 5 1. , from Inverurie. burgrola eThe of Inverurihat latthe e e12tin earlhand y 13th centur besyis t summarized in Stringer' wordsn sow :

[The burgh's] trad scarceln eca y have extended beyon profite dth locaf so l exchange limitee th d dsan opportunities they offere commerciar fo d l success. Indee t seemdi s unlikely tha plantatioe th t s nwa originally intended to assume an economic role transcending immediate requirements. Almost everything abou settlemene tth t evoke speciae sth l franchised r 'pseudo-burghsso Anglof o ' - Norman and the French bourgs, distinct from ordinary but still of fundamentally rural aspect. . . For Norman itself, it has recently and cogently been argued that magnates often had modest expectations of their burghal creations as the support group of military and administrative centres. Earl David's burgh at Inverurie, a simple burgus castri, would seem to conform closely to this model (Stringer 1985, 70).

We should therefore expect to find evidence for a rural settlement, principally involved in agriculture, adjacent to a major military and administrative complex. The archaeological evidence dato t e supports this model. Inveruri locate s emaii e th nn d o rout e into castlMoras it s d ewa y an established on a strong defensive site, surrounded by water. The motte is a modification of an existing natural mound (Davidson 1886), a practical move adopted by many castle-builders in this area. Pottery fro castle mth e itsel frod adjacene an fm th t river channel provides evidencf eo the wealth and status of its inhabitants but little is known of the castle buildings other than a tantalizing referenc jointea o et d timber structur ditce th hn ei that surround mottee sth , observed during major landscaping of the site in 1883 (Curie 1919). The administrative function of the castle cannot be detected in the available archaeological evidence but the early establishment by Earl Daviparisthe dof h churc AppolinariuSt hof s adjacen castlthe eto t brought together spiritual and temporal authority on one site. The burgh was laid out close to the church and castle on an open, level site that offered good agricultural land. The remarkable size of the burgh, apparently 850 m in length, compares with the frontage available in the most successful 12th- century trading burghs suc s Pertha h . However a tradin s Inverurit a , no gs burgwa e h this comparison is misleading; the large size of Inverurie is not the product of a long trading frontage. Instead it may be interpreted as a group of substantial agricultural allotments. The failure to CARTER: BURG INVERURIF HO 9 65 | E

identify medieval structures in the burgh is frustrating but, considering the general invisibility of lowland rural medieval settlements in Scotland, it is hardly surprising. The burgh of Rattray, also in Aberdeenshire, provides the best studied archaeological model for Inverurie (Murray & Murray 1993). Thirteenth-century Rattray comprised a series of properties alon m lait ove0 d ou gsingla 55 r e road between churc castled han buildingse Th . , e lands locatefrone th th f o ,tn do wer e constructed from timbe theiturd thee d an ran fyow r archaeological survival to the subsequent abandonment of Rattray. At Inverurie the chances of detecting these superficial remain modere th n so n frontag remotee ear absence Th . medievaf eo l pottery fro burge mth h land Inverurin si strikins ei contrastd gan s strongly with Rattray where pottery was common in the medieval ploughsoil. Pottery was actually manufactured in Rattray and was widely used by the inhabitants. Its absence at Inverurie suggests that pottery was used burghe th n i ,l despital t a presenct e elittlth no r eo importef eo d warecastlee th extene t sa .Th o t which potter availabls ywa ruraen i l agricultural settlement thin si s par Scotlanf to t knowno s di n as sites yielding medieval pottery assemblages have been high-status f thicorreca I . s si t interpretation of the evidence from Inverurie it makes the medieval burgh more or less invisible to the small-scale archaeological investigations that can take place in the modern town.

CONCLUSIONS Significant progres bees sha n achieve r understandinou dn i archaeologe th f go burge th f f yho o Inverurie e locatio e e issuth 12th-centur th f Th .o e f o n y burg s beeha h n resolved beyond reasonable doub thid san t allow debate sth movo et e forwar assessmenn a do t nature th d f to e an development of the burgh on the High Street site. Archaeological and historical data appear to be convergin conclusioe th n go n tha burge neves tth hwa r more tha nruraa l agricultural settlement. When compared with the successful coastal trading burghs it is unlikely to ever yield complex and informative archaeological deposits; however this conclusion shoul t diminisdno h archaeological interest in Inverurie. The tendency for archaeologists to treat the medieval burghs in isolation as groua similaf po r site unfortunats i e becaus ignoret ei true sth e historical contex settlemena f to t like Inverurie. The settlement was established as an integral component of Earl David's Lordship of Garioch, to serve the military and administrative demands of the Lordship. It performed this function until a new political situation and changes of ownership led to the abandonment of Inverurie as the chief place of the Lordship. The archaeology of the burgh should therefore be aligned with other sites within the Garioch rather than other settlements with burghal status; recen t Castle worth t Wardhousef ka eo wesm f Inschk o t3 , , provide primsa e example. Here, trial excavations by Yeoman (1998) have shed light on the residence of one of the Lordship's second tier of landowners, Bartholomew the Fleming, who had been established there by the Earl before 1230 continuee .Th Wardhousf o e dus residenc a 17te s ea th ho centurt p eu y contrasts with earle th y abandonmen castle th f t Inveruriea o t presumabld ean y reflect divergine th s g interests of their owners. transfee Th Inverurif o r e from Scottish burgh studie Lordshio st p studies could usefulle yb applied to other Scottish burghs and the excavations at Rattray have already been published in this context (Murray & Murray 1993). Lochmaben, an archaeologically unknown burgh, owes its existenc massive th eo t e 12th-century castl Lochmabef eo nLordshi e caput e whicth th f s o hwa p of Annandale after its transfer from Annan (RCAHMS 1997, 188). Lochmaben survived as a substantial single-street , much like Inverurie befor arriva e railwae eth e 19t th f th lo h n yi century. Other foundations did not survive the loss of the original military and administrative functions. Examples includ Gallowayn i r eUr impressivn ,a e castle wit hburga h documentey db 660 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1999

1262 but not subsequently, and Staplegordon in Eskdale, a mid 12th-century castle with a burgh in existence by 1285 (RCAHMS 1997, 197). Both are now green-field sites and, taking Rattray as a model, would repay closer examination. It is hoped that this change of approach by archaeologists will transform many sites from 'unsuccessful' poor relations of the major trading burghs to important components of the provincial Lordships that were such a significant feature of feudal colonization in 12th- and 13th- century Scotland (McNeill & MacQueen 1996,183)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This paper was stimulated by the results of the recent excavations in the Stanners, Inverurie, undertake r Headlannfo d Archaeolog Coly yb m Moloney, assiste Louisy db e Bake Alad an r n Hunter Blair. That project was commissioned and funded by North of Scotland Water Authority (NoSWA advancn )i constructioe th f wateeo w ne ra treatmenf no t work Inverurier sfo ; NoSWA have also provided the funding for the production and publication of this report and I wish to thank Mr Clive Kennedy of NoSWA for his support throughout the project. The excavations were undertake requese r lath nM t n a f Shepherd o t , Aberdeenshire Council Archaeologisto ,wh provided useful advice and information on the archaeology of Inverurie. Many people have contributed to the writing of this paper and I would particularly like to thank Derek Hall (SUAT) for his work on the pottery from the Stanners and for information about earlier investigations by SUAT in Inverurie; Richard Tipping (University of ) for advice on the fluvial sediments; and lan Eraser (RCAHMS) for sharing his knowledge of the medieval history of the Garioch.

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This paper publishedis ofgranta aid with fromthe North of Scotland Water Authority