A scheduled monument in Scotland is a nationally important archaeological site or monument which is given legal protection by being placed on a list (or "schedule") maintained by Historic Environment Scotland. The aim of scheduling is to preserve the country's most significant sites and monuments as far as possible in the form in which they have been inherited.
The process of scheduling is governed by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, which aims "to make provision for the investigation, preservation and recording of matters of archaeological or historical interest". The term "scheduled monument" can apply to the whole range of archaeological sites which have been deliberately constructed by human activity but are not always visible above ground. They range from prehistoric standing stones and burial sites, through Roman remains and medieval structures such as castles and monasteries, to later structures such as industrial sites and buildings constructed for the World Wars. Some buildings or structures which were both scheduled and listed have had their listing designations removed to reduce the duplication.
In 2017 there were 8238 scheduled monuments in Scotland.
Notable Scheduled Monuments in South Ayrshire Name LocationDescription Ref NoImage Alloway Kirk Alloway Ruined church which features in Burn's poem Tam o' Shanter Ardstinchar Castle Ballantrae Ruined medieval castle Craigie Castle Craigie Remains of medieval castle Dalquharran Old Castle Dailly Remnants of old 15th-century castle Bencallen Hill Cairn Barr Prehistoric chambered cairn Old Parish Church, Prestwick Prestwick Ruins of 12th/13th-century St Nicholas church Dunure Castle and Dovecot Maybole Ruined medieval castle and 16th-century dovecot Crossraguel Abbey Kirkoswald Extensive remains of the 13th-century Cluniac Abbey Dundonald Castle Dundonald Castle rebuilt by King Robert II Maybole Collegiate Church Maybole Remains of the collegiate church of St Mary
See also List of Category A listed buildings in South Ayrshire
References