Monument record MHG7514 - Burials in Cists, Balintore

NH87NE 5 861 754.
Inhumations, some in cists, found in vicinity of Ross Crescent, SW of Balintore, during building operations and as chance finds 1937- 1955 and possibly before. A tradition of burials survives; local names "Ghosts Hillock" (Davidson 1948) and Sloc Geal (The White Pit) (Info from J Howdle to OS 28 August 1961). The evidence suggests a fairly large cemetery, possibly Bronze Age.
A mound of sand was levelled for foundations in 1937 (houses on NW side of road at Balintore end of Ross Crescent were built 1938-9 (Info from J Robb, 16 Underhill Rd, Matson, Glos, and D Robb, 22 Ross Cresent, Balintore) and a number of human bones were found. An inhumation in a cist was associated with "flints or sharp stones" with two skulls nearby is recorded (Davidson 1948), but their relationship to mound is not clear. Local tradition confirms that 1938-9 building "skulls and other bones were found" reputed to have been sent by builder (name not known but suspected to be Ross from Tain) to Edinburgh (Info from J Robb, 16 Underhill Rd, Matson, Glos, and D Robb, 22 Ross Cresent, Balintore). More recently short cist burials have been found in some of back gardens in vicinity.
21 Ross Crescent (NH 8609 7543) is sited on S edge of hollow "Sloc Geal" (Info from H Ross, General merchant, Shandwick; A Vass, 4 Park St, Balintore; D Vass, Chapel Hill, Nigg; N Vass, 3 Park St, Balintore; J Robb, 16 Underhill Rd, Matson, Glos) and a skeleton, "so old that it was doubled up" was found during building of this house 1955-6 and was said to have been sent to Edinburgh (Info from H Ross, General merchant, Shandwick; A Vass, 4 Park Street, Balintore). There is a tradition of many burials in this hollow (Info from D Vass, Chapel Hill, Nigg).
(NH 8608 7538) Human bones were found when foundations of Church Hall were being excavated on S side of road (Info from H Ross, General merchant, Shandwick; A Vass, 4 Park St, Balintore; J Robb, 16 Underhill Rd, Matson, Glos).
J M Davidson 1948.

Mrs Skinner (13 Ross Crescent, Balintore) says that a burial (which she thinks was in a stone coffin) was unearthed whilst foundations for 8 Ross Crescent at NH 8617 7549 were being dug 1937 on SW side of a large sandhill known locally as "Bruchal Mhor". According to Mr Mackenzie (7 Bank Street, Balintore) two cists containing 2 crouched skeletons were uncovered from this same mound, but on NE side of it at NH 8619 7552 in 1935. Mr Macleod (15 Bank Street, Balintore) states that when mound was levelled during 1937, human bones were noted and an excavated by Aberdeen University revealed a group of about 13 extended skeletons. Hugh Ross and Andrew Vass are deceased and nothing is known locally of alleged burial at 21 Ross Crescent, nor could any further info be gained about bones under church hall. Sloc Geal is now filled in, and believed to have been centred about NH 8618 7542.
Visited by OS (I S S) 4 September 1972.

Easter Ross Local Plan, July 1992: P72/7.32. POLICY - The Council will safeguard land adjacent to the cemetery in the interests of amenity and will seek to establish an appropriate landscape buffer in liason with adjacent developments.
J Aitken : 06/06/01.