List of hillforts in Scotland

Remains of the fort at Dunadd, Kilmartin, Argyll

Animated LIDAR data of The Doon, or Drimadoon coastal hillfort, on the Isle of Arran

Arthur's Seat, viewed to the north-north-east from Blackford Hill Trig Point

Prospect from Craig Phadrig, looking westward along the southern shore of the Beauly Firth

Rock outcrop and pond, Peniel Heugh summit

Kite aerial photo of Peace Knowe in West Lothian

Dry stone remains of White Catherun, out by Brechin

This article lists a few selected examples of hill forts in Scotland. The remains of at least 1,695 hillforts have been counted throughout the country as a whole,^[1] most predominantly on the Scottish mainland, and also including on some of the Scottish islands. One of the highest concentrations of historic hillforts in Europe, according to the Trimontium Trust, is in the Scottish Borders, including particularly in the historic county of Berwickshire. Hill forts in Scotland typically date from the Bronze and Iron Ages, but post-Roman inhabitation of many sites is also important. The remains today typically survive only as earthworks with occasional traces of structural stone in varying quantity. Remains of vitrified forts are also found throughout Scotland.

Contents

Aberdeenshire

Angus

The Caterthuns

Argyll and Bute

Clackmannanshire

Dumfries and Galloway

East Lothian

City of Edinburgh

Fife

Highland

Midlothian

Castle Law

Moray

Perth and Kinross

Moredun Top hill fort, Moncreiffe Hill^[6]
Dundurn

Scottish Borders

According to the Trimontium Trust, the area of the Scottish Borders lays claim to as many as 408 identifiable hillfort sites, one of the highest concentrations in Europe.

Addinston
Black Meldon
Broxmouth (destroyed)^[7]
Bunkle Edge (Drakemire hillforts) series of linked hillforts running along a ridge north of the B6438 from Reston to Preston^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]
Chester Hill, Burnmouth^[12]
Cockburn Law^[13]^[14]
Colud's Fort, Kirk Hill (Colodaesburg), St Abb's Head^[15]
Duns Law ("Covenanter's Camp"), Duns^[16]
Earns Heugh^[17]
Edin's Hall Broch (Historic Scotland)
Eildon Hill
Fosterland Burn^[18]^[19]
Gordon Castle, Bogle Plantation, Gordon^[20]
Habchester, Bastleridge^[21]^[22]
Hirsel Law^[23]^[24]^[25]
Milkieston Rings
Mutiny Stones^[26]
Northshield Rings
Peniel Heugh
Primrose Hill Fort^[27]
Raecleugh Head^[28]^[29]
Tollis Hill^[30]
White Meldon

South Lanarkshire

Black Hill (National Trust for Scotland)

Stirling

Castle Law, Dumyat
Gillies Hill

West Dunbartonshire

Dumbarton Rock

West Lothian

Bowden Hill, near Linlithgow^[31]^[32]
Castlethorn, or Canniewell Slack, Torphichen^[33]
Cockleroy
Dechmont Law, possible hill fort remains
Peace Knowe, by Ochiltree^[34]^[35]

Western Isles

Dùn Èistean

References

^ Morris, Steven (21 June 2017). "Hill fort hotspots in UK and Ireland mapped for first time in online atlas". The Guardian.
^ The Doon Hillfort, Arran, by David Ross, Britain Express
^ Drumadoon, Geological Society of Glasgow
^ Kae Heughs, Barney Mains, The Megalithic Portal
^ Kidlaw Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal
^ "Moncreiffe Hill". Woodland Trust. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
^ Broxmouth (site of), Stravaiging Around Scotland
^ Drakemire Hillforts (Marygold), The Megalithic Portal
^ Marygold Plantation, forts 845m W and 730m NW of MarygoldSM375, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument
^ Preston Cleugh Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal
^ Marygoldhill Plantation (Marygold Plantation; Bunkle Edge), Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, SC4104
^ Chester Hillfort and Cultivation Terraces, Ancient Monuments, History on the Ground
^ Cockburn Law, Stravaiging Around Scotland
^ Cockburn Law, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment
^ St Abb's Head (Kirk Hill; Colodaesburg), Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, SC4150
^ Duns Law Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal
^ What were bronze age hillhorts, like Earnsheugh,used for?, Garden Visit, Garden Design and Landscape Architecture
^ Fosterlands, fort 500m N of SM4998, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument
^ Fosterland Burn, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment
^ Bogle Plantation, Gordon Castle, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment
^ Habchester, fort 1100m ESE of Bastleridge, SM4637, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument
^ Habchester (Bastleridge), Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, SC4153
^ Hirsel Law, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment
^ Hirsel Law, Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, SC4078
^ Hirsel Law Fort, SM12349, Historic Environment, Scotland. Scheduled Monument
^ Mutiny Stones and Twin Law, Rambling Scot
^ Primrose Hill Fort, The Megalithic Portal
^ Raecleugh Head Hill, fort 690m NNW of Raecleugh Head, SM378, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument
^ Raecleughhead Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal
^ Tollis Hill Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal
^ Bowden Hill fort, Linlithgow, SM2283, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument
^ Bowden Hill, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment
^ Castlethorn fort, Torphichen Hills, Stravaiging Around Scotland
^ SC3690: Peace Knowe, Atlas of Hillorts of Britain and Ireland
^ Peace Knowe, Canmore ID 49312, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment

External links

West Lothian Archaeology Group, aerial photography of a number of hill forts in West Lothian
Hillforts Atlas Project – a crowd-sourced project to map the hillforts of Britain and Ireland

[1] Morris, Steven (21 June 2017). "Hill fort hotspots in UK and Ireland mapped for first time in online atlas". The Guardian.

[2] The Doon Hillfort, Arran, by David Ross, Britain Express

[3] Drumadoon, Geological Society of Glasgow

[4] Kae Heughs, Barney Mains, The Megalithic Portal

[5] Kidlaw Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal

[6] "Moncreiffe Hill". Woodland Trust. Retrieved 20 December 2017.

[7] Broxmouth (site of), Stravaiging Around Scotland

[8] Drakemire Hillforts (Marygold), The Megalithic Portal

[9] Marygold Plantation, forts 845m W and 730m NW of MarygoldSM375, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument

[10] Preston Cleugh Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal

[11] Marygoldhill Plantation (Marygold Plantation; Bunkle Edge), Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, SC4104

[12] Chester Hillfort and Cultivation Terraces, Ancient Monuments, History on the Ground

[13] Cockburn Law, Stravaiging Around Scotland

[14] Cockburn Law, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment

[15] St Abb's Head (Kirk Hill; Colodaesburg), Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, SC4150

[16] Duns Law Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal

[17] What were bronze age hillhorts, like Earnsheugh,used for?, Garden Visit, Garden Design and Landscape Architecture

[18] Fosterlands, fort 500m N of SM4998, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument

[19] Fosterland Burn, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment

[20] Bogle Plantation, Gordon Castle, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment

[21] Habchester, fort 1100m ESE of Bastleridge, SM4637, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument

[22] Habchester (Bastleridge), Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, SC4153

[23] Hirsel Law, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment

[24] Hirsel Law, Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, SC4078

[25] Hirsel Law Fort, SM12349, Historic Environment, Scotland. Scheduled Monument

[26] Mutiny Stones and Twin Law, Rambling Scot

[27] Primrose Hill Fort, The Megalithic Portal

[28] Raecleugh Head Hill, fort 690m NNW of Raecleugh Head, SM378, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument

[29] Raecleughhead Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal

[30] Tollis Hill Hillfort, The Megalithic Portal

[31] Bowden Hill fort, Linlithgow, SM2283, Historic Environment Scotland, Scheduled Monument

[32] Bowden Hill, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment

[33] Castlethorn fort, Torphichen Hills, Stravaiging Around Scotland

[34] SC3690: Peace Knowe, Atlas of Hillorts of Britain and Ireland

[35] Peace Knowe, Canmore ID 49312, Canmore, National Record of the Historic Environment

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