List of hillforts in Scotland explained

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.

Aberdeenshire

• Barmekin of Echt
• Barra Hill
• Bennachie
• Dunnicaer
• Dunnideer
• Tap o' Noth

Angus

• The Caterthuns

Argyll and Bute

• An Caisteal, Coll
• Dùn Cholla, Colonsay
• Dùn Dubh, Coll
• Dùn Eibhinn, Colonsay
• Dùn Meadhonach, Colonsay
• Dùn Morbhaidh, Coll
• Dunadd, Argyll
• Dun Skeig, Kintyre
• The Doon (Drumadoon), Arran^{[2] [3]}

Dumfries and Galloway

• Doon of May
• Grennan Hill
• Tynron Doon

East Lothian

• Black Castle
• Blackcastle Hill
• Chesters Hill Fort (Historic Scotland)
• Kae Heughs, near Haddington^[4]
• Kidlaw, near Dalkeith^[5]
  • Traprain Law White Castle

City of Edinburgh

• Arthur's Seat
• Blackford Hill

Fife

• Clatchard Craig
• Norman's Law

Highland

• Dunearn
• Dun Cruinn
• Dun Evan
• Dun Ringill
• Dun Skudiburgh
• Craig Phadrig, Inverness

Midlothian

• Castle Law

Moray

• Cluny Hill
• Doune of Relugas
• Knock of Alves

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

See also

• David Christison
• List of castles in Scotland
• Hillforts in Scotland
• Hillforts in Britain
• Hillfort of Otzenhausen
• List of hillforts on the Isle of Man
• List of hillforts in Northern Ireland
• List of hillforts in Ireland
• List of hillforts in Wales
• List of hillforts in Monmouthshire
• List of hillforts in England
• List of hillforts and ancient settlements in Somerset
• Forts in Cornwall
• List of hillforts in Latvia

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Morris. Steven. Hill fort hotspots in UK and Ireland mapped for first time in online atlas. The Guardian. 21 June 2017.
2. https://www.britainexpress.com/scotland/Arran/doon-hillfort.htm The Doon Hillfort, Arran
3. https://geologyglasgow.org.uk/sites/drumadoon/ Drumadoon
4. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=50431 Kae Heughs, Barney Mains
5. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=19442 Kidlaw Hillfort
6. Web site: Moncreiffe Hill. Woodland Trust. en. 20 December 2017.
7. http://www.stravaiging.com/history/ancient/site/broxmouth Broxmouth (site of)
8. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=15847 Drakemire Hillforts (Marygold)
9. https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM375 Marygold Plantation, forts 845m W and 730m NW of MarygoldSM375
10. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=37241 Preston Cleugh Hillfort
11. http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/SC4104.html Marygoldhill Plantation (Marygold Plantation; Bunkle Edge)
12. https://ancientmonuments.uk/122533-chester-hillfort-and-cultivation-terraces-east-berwickshire-ward Chester Hillfort and Cultivation Terraces
13. http://www.stravaiging.com/history/ancient/site/cockburn-law/ Cockburn Law
14. https://canmore.org.uk/site/58569/cockburn-law Cockburn Law
15. http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/SC4150.html St Abb's Head (Kirk Hill; Colodaesburg)
16. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=19311 Duns Law Hillfort
17. https://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/what-were-bronze-age-hillforts-like-earnsheugh-used-for/ What were bronze age hillhorts, like Earnsheugh,used for?
18. https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM4998 Fosterlands, fort 500m N of SM4998
19. https://canmore.org.uk/site/59943/fosterland-burn Fosterland Burn
20. https://canmore.org.uk/site/57387/gordon-castle-bogle-plantation Bogle Plantation, Gordon Castle
21. https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM4637 Habchester, fort 1100m ESE of Bastleridge, SM4637
22. http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/SC4153.html Habchester (Bastleridge)
23. https://canmore.org.uk/site/59635/hirsel-law Hirsel Law
24. http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/SC4078.html Hirsel Law
25. https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM12349 Hirsel Law Fort, SM12349
26. http://ramblingscot.com/walks/the-mutiny-stones-and-twin-law/ Mutiny Stones and Twin Law
27. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=32187 Primrose Hill Fort
28. https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM378 Raecleugh Head Hill, fort 690m NNW of Raecleugh Head, SM378
29. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?mapref=NT755528 Raecleughhead Hillfort
30. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=19317 Tollis Hill Hillfort
31. http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM2283 Bowden Hill fort, Linlithgow, SM2283
32. https://canmore.org.uk/site/47912/bowden-hill Bowden Hill
33. http://www.stravaiging.com/history/ancient/site/castlethorn-fort/ Castlethorn fort, Torphichen Hills
34. http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/SC3690.html SC3690: Peace Knowe
35. https://canmore.org.uk/site/49312/peace-knowe Peace Knowe, Canmore ID 49312