Tullos Hill Archaeology

A Guide to the History, Archaeology and Natural History of Tullos Hill Archaeology Tullos Hill, along with adjacent Kincorth Hill, together form part of the very lowest coastal fringe of the Grampian Mountains – hence the cherished local name ‘the Gramps’. Not only are the two hills alike in character, being higher, wilder, more ‘natural’ landscapes in the midst of conurbation, but they also share a great deal in terms of archaeology and early history. Their more recent histories diverge, however, with Kincorth Hill being heavily exploited by quarrying and encroached upon by housing developments, while Tullos Hill, having first supported a Second World War Anti- Aircraft Battery and Prisoner of War Camp, was then affected by industrial sprawl and Excavation at Bronze Age ring cairn, 2010 © CFA Archaeology Ltd landfill operations. Despite and because of some of that, Tullos Hill, like Kincorth Hill, Cat Cairn, Baron’s Cairn, Crab’s Cairn is rich in evidence of the past. and Tullos Cairn have only borne those particular names for some 200 years, but It is evident that human beings have have in essence survived for around been active in this general area for at 4 millennia, despite changes of the Introduction The name Tullos probably derives from least 10000 years. The earliest and nearest surrounding land from rough ground to the Gaelic word for hill, as do many other tangible traces date from the Mesolithic cultivated fields to wartime strongpoint Tullos Hill represents a fantastic resource place names in what are today known period, around 8000 to 6000 BC and are and most recently to industrial zone. for the people of Aberdeen. Aside from as the Grampian Hills. Torry, Tullos and in the form of a collection of sea-shells Very striking are the results of a survey of being an excellent venue for walking Tollohill probably all mean hill, whilst found in a midden of food remains Tullos Hill commissioned by Aberdeen and other healthy exercise, it comprises nearby Kincorth derives from Gaelic words and other organic rubbish left on the City Council and undertaken by CFA some of the most startling archaeology, meaning high place. shore by hunters and gatherers, who Archaeology Ltd in 2004, in which history and natural history in the City. The probably had a seasonal camp nearby. around 120 previously unrecognised landscape of Tullos Hill bears imprints of The midden was identified on the Bay of archaeological features, were identified diverse periods of human activity, from Nigg shoreline some years ago. Flint tools, on the part of the hill which had not been the Mesolithic period to the Medieval hearths, buildings and other vestiges of affected by landfill. Further survey work era and up to the Second World War. human activity have been found in many associated with vegetation clearance prior This leaflet seeks to introduce the varied areas along the banks of the River Dee, to tree planting in 2012 revealed even natural history and archaeology of the Hill. indicating that this fertile valley was richly more features, reaching a current total of exploited by our prehistoric ancestors. 201. The features recorded in 2004 and Above: Aerial view of Tullos Hill 2012 range from probable prehistoric field Right: Open Day at community archaeological The importance of Tullos Hill as a place boundaries and dwellings to additional excavation of burial in the Bronze Age has long been prehistoric and later cairns to hut bases All images are © Aberdeen City Council unless known and is marked by the continued associated with the Second World War otherwise stated existence there of substantial stone cairns. Anti-Aircraft Battery and Prisoner of War 2 2 3 History extensive moor, marsh and rocky barren The historical evidence for Tullos Hill soils of the lands. begins in the later 12th century. In the closing years of that century the church Following the Reformation of 1560, in the Bay of Nigg (the now ruined St control of Tullos Hill passed out of the Fittick’s) and the lands from the mouth of hands of the church. Eventually, following the River Dee down to Cove, so including a number of changes, all of the lands Tullos Hill, were given by King William from the mouth of the Dee down to the Lion to the Abbot of the Abbey Cove became split between the town of of Arbroath. The Abbot remained the Aberdeen and the Menzies family, the feudal superior of these lands until the Lairds of Pitfodels. A number of disputes Reformation in 1560. arose between these two parties due to the archaic system of land holding that From the 12th century onwards we can was in operation at the time: run rig. trace the development of life in this area. This meant that each of the two main The main settlements developed closer to land owners did not hold their lands in the mouth of the Dee in the form of the anything like one or two large and fairly Above: Excavation of gun emplacement site Below: Aerial photograph of gun emplacements from south, 1946 villages of Upper and Lower Torry. Tullos self contained parcels of land, but rather Camp. Some of the lived while farming Hill does not seem to have been settled one owned one field and the other the cairns are certainly the surrounding during the Medieval period. Although next, resulting in a large amount of likely to be burial land. The other some limited farming was undertaken on litigation between the two parties. cairns, part of the was a further burial parts of the Hill, much of the land was not same Bronze Age cairn, which may amenable to agricultural development. Bay of Nigg from Tullos Hill with St Fittick’s Church cemetery as the have contained A document dated 1281 mentions the right of centre more well-known cremated bone cairns mentioned from a funeral pyre above, while at that spot. others relate to clearance of ground At present there for cultivation in is little evidence prehistoric or of human activity later periods. in the area under discussion between Two short seasons of later prehistory and excavation directed the 12th century by CFA Archaeology, AD. There is one in 2010 and 2012, exception in the and involving large numbers of local form of part of a solid silver chain, often volunteers, focused on two of the recently described as ‘Pictish’ and dating from discovered features, both of which were about the 7th century, which was found in found to be of prehistoric, probably the 18th century by a farmer in the nearby Bronze Age date. One was a hut circle, Bay of Nigg. Containing 95% silver this the foundation of a substantial stone and was obviously a high status object and wooden building or roundhouse in which hints at a continuity of human activity in the first residents of Tullos Hill would have the wider area. 4 4 5 Survey of area by George Brown, 1777 Above: Detail of Tullos Hill from George Brown’s Survey of 1777 At any rate it was clear that this system being Tullos. In total Morrice paid a feu was untenable and could not continue duty of £42 8s and 46 bolls of oatmeal for Right: Ness Farm prior to demolition, indefinitely. Ultimately an Act of Parliament all three plots. This feu contained what was courtesy of Ethel Stewart was necessary to solve the conundrum. estimated to be only 100 acres of arable By the terms of the Act the proprietors land compared to some 250 acres of hill The 20th century brought could appeal to a third party who, by and moor land, which in itself bears out further considerable changes arbitration and independent consultation, the suggestions that the land was largely to Tullos Hill. An industrial would more logically divide the lands. uninhabitable in the Medieval period. estate on the seaward side This resulted in a number of highly of the Hill was developed detailed plans and maps of the area being Morrice was, however, a seminal figure in in the last decades of the drawn up. One of the best of those is still the development of Tullos Hill as we see 20th century whilst earlier preserved in the City Archives and is by it today. He planted trees and employed on the Second World War George Brown, dated 1777. It is thoroughly modern farming techniques to create had changed the landscape invaluable for any history of the area which farmed fields on the Hill. The consumption of the Hill. Some of the land might be undertaken. Then in 1785, after dykes relate to this process whilst the of one of the 19th century due deliberation, the lands were divided. descendants of his trees are still to be farms, Peterseat, was adapted The town got all the lands to the east with seen today. Whilst there had been a to become an Anti-Aircraft Menzies getting what was on the west. modest amount of farming on the hill in Battery, and subsequently a Medieval times, the agricultural revolution Prisoner of War Camp. In the In 1786 the town council feued out their allowed more land to be cultivated and so middle decades of the 20th share of these lands in nine lots. Three of farming began on a wider scale on the Hill. century the Hill became home these feus were secured by David Morrice, Peterseat and Ness Farms, which survived to a landfill site. an advocate in Aberdeen. Two plots were into the 20th century, owe their origins to called Middleton and Altens and the last this process.

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