Description

The monument consists of the remains of dun; a type of fortified settlement dating from the Iron Age or early medieval period. It is visible as a low rocky knoll located in in an area of marshy ground, known as the Moor of Marslauch and to the west there is a sharp drop to the Craigoch Burn.

The monument comprises the remains of a sub-ovular drystone enclosure around 17m in diameter. Within the enclosure are the remains of a round house. This is a drystone structure with an internal diameter of 8.8m terraced into the bedrock. Between the round house and the enclosure wall is an area interpreted as a yard. There is a quarry on the eastern side of the monument which has removed part of the enclosure wall and round house.

The scheduled area is irregular and includes the dun and an area around it, within which, evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The national importance of the monument is demonstrated in the following way (see Designations Policy and Selection Guidance, Annex 1, para 17):

a. The monument makes a significant contribution to our understanding and appreciation of the past as part of a geographical group of under researched monuments in Galloway. Charcoal that has been recovered from secure occupation deposits at the site has the potential to provide firm dating evidence for this monument and this group helping to place them in a Scotland wide chronology.

b. The monument retains structural remains and complex archaeology which can makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the past. Although not complete the plan of the monument remains understandable. There is also significant potential for the survival of buried archaeological deposits within and beneath surviving structural elements. including a drystone enclosure wall, round house with paved floor and a yard.

d. The monument is a good representative example of duns in the Galloway region; as such any new information retrieved form this site can help to improve the understanding of the group more widely.

e. The monument has research potential which could significantly contribute to our understanding of the past. This includes the further investigation of buried archaeological deposits and exploration of the adjacent waterlogged area for paleoenvironmental evidence and artefacts of organic materials. This would provide information on local economy, agriculture, status and function of the site and broader landscape character.

Assessment of Cultural Significance

This statement of national importance has been informed by the following assessment of cultural significance:

Intrinsic characteristics (how the remains of a site or place contribute to our knowledge of the past)

The monument is a dun; a type of fortified settlement dating from the later first millennium BC or earlier first millennium AD. It displays characteristic features of a dun including drystone construction, a sub-ovular enclosure, a round house and yard. Part of the enclosure wall and round house on the eastern side of the monument have been removed due to modern quarrying.

The enclosure takes the form of an irregularly coursed drystone wall 1.50m to 1.75m in width, with a rubble core. It surrounds an area 17m in diameter. In the south west of the enclosure sits a round house, with an internal diameter of 8.8m. The round house has been terraced into the bedrock of the knoll and has an irregularly coursed drystone wall with a floor of roughly paved slabs. Between the round house and the enclosure wall is an area interpreted as a yard (Humble et al. 2019, 2, 5-7).

Due to its drystone construction and characteristic morphology the dun has been broadly dated to the late Iron Age/early medieval period. Recent excavation of the round house has produced significant charcoal samples overlying the floor. This has potential to be radio carbon dated, providing a firmer chronology for the site and others like it (Humble et al. 2019, 14). Further scientific study could also supply environmental material such as charred cereal grains (Canmore ID 62706; Humble et al. 2019, 11; Geddes and Cavers 2010, 33).

Contextual characteristics (how a site or place relates to its surroundings and/or to our existing knowledge of the past)

The monument sits on a low rocky knoll within an area of flat marshy ground. The Craigoch Burn runs north-south skirting the western edge of the knoll bellow a sharp drop. Encircled by its thick stone wall and situated in marshy ground the knoll would have been easily defended. With areas of high ground rising to the west and east it also had the potential to control the movement of people and goods through the narrow river valley.

The monument bridges the gap between the Bronze Age and Medieval archaeology identified in the surrounding area; the sites most comparable in age being Tor of Craigoch, fort 1200m NW of Leswalt (scheduled monument SM2001) which lies 2.2km to the south-south-west and Cairn Connell Hill, enclosed settlements 480m NNW of Clendrie (scheduled monument SM7351) which lies 1.7km to the north-north-east. 

The monument is part of group of similar and under researched settlements of this period in Galloway which are sometimes described as 'homesteads.' Comparable examples include Airyolland, (Canmore ID 62706); Corwall (Canmore ID 62128) and Changue (Canmore ID 62106) (Humble et al. 2019, 10; Geddes and Cavers 2010, 19-20).

Environmental coring and exploration of the waterlogged area to the immediate west of the monument, in particular those sealed by collapse from the enclosure wall, could provide paleoenvironmental evidence including pollen and other plant material and well-preserved artefacts of organic material that would normally be unlikely to survive (Humble et al. 2019, 9).

Associative characteristics (how a site or place relates to people, events, and/or historic and social movements)

There are no known associative characteristics that contribute to this site's cultural significance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Historic Environment Scotland http://www.canmore.org.uk reference number CANMORE ID 60744 (accessed on 22/08/2019).

Local Authority HER/SMR Reference MDG904 (accessed 08/11/2019).

Cavers, G. and Geddes, G. (2010) Homesteads in West Galloway: Excavation at Airyolland, Mochrum, Wigtonshire in Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History Society and Antiquarian Society, Third Series Vol. LXXXIV, pp. 19-42.

Humble, J. et al (2019) High Milton Dun, Dumfries and Galloway Evaluation Excavation: Data Structure Report. Edinburgh: AOC Archaeology Group.

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/60744/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland