Description

The monument comprises the remains of a promontory fort visible as buried archaeological features seen in aerial photographs. The fort is likely to date to the Iron Age (approximately 500BC to 400AD) and includes the remains of three features interpreted as ditches. These separate the interior of the fort from land to its west northwest. The monument is located on cultivated land and occupies the high ground of a natural promontory feature known as Bell Craig Wood Hill, at 150m above sea level.

The remains of the fort can be seen in aerial imagery and include an outer, interrupted ditch which encloses the promontory. The ditch is between approximately 1m to 2.5m wide. Within the interior and some 20m to the east of the outer ditch are two further ditch features, broadly parallel and each 3m wide. A gap across the centre of these inner ditches is thought to indicate the position of a causeway leading into and from the interior of the fort.

The scheduled area is irregular. It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map extract. The scheduling extends up to but does not include the fencing enclosing this area to the north, south and east. The above-ground elements of all modern boundary features within the scheduled area are excluded from the schedule.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to add to our understanding of prehistoric defensive settlement in the prehistoric period. 

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/57786/

HER/SMR Reference

MEL1677

Source: Historic Environment Scotland