Description

The monument includes a fort and adjacent house. The fort comprises a central dun and traces of at least 2 outer ramparts, both apparently robbed. The central fortification cuts off the ENE part of the promontory in which is at least one slightly scooped round house. South of the fort, on a small terrace, is a well preserved round house measuring 15m x 16m over a stony bank 1.7m in width with, on the east side are expanded terminals to either side of an entrance. Inside the bank is a broad shallow annular depression, deeper to the N than the S, surrounding a central raised area up to 8m across.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The house is of particular interest because of the asymmetry of the annular depression and its overall similarity to an excavated house of the mid 1st millenium BC at Douglasmuir, near Friockheim. The type occurs fairly abundantly as a cropmark and the existence of upstanding example on high ground is of national importance to the theme of early Iron Age settlement in E Scotland. The fort is of particular interest because of its similarity to Western Scottish fort types, and because it contains at least one house of a type dissimilar to those occurring in isolation or in unenclosed settlements. It is quite different from the other inland forts although comparable in siting and size to the small promontory forts of the coast. It is of national importance to studies of Iron Age and early medieval fortification in E Scotland because of its links with western and eastern coastal forts.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS record the site as NO35NE 33.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland