Ancient Monuments

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Dunsinane Hill, fort

A Scheduled Monument in Carse of Gowrie, Perth and Kinross

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Coordinates

Latitude: 56.4708 / 56°28'14"N

Longitude: -3.2781 / 3°16'41"W

OS Eastings: 321360

OS Northings: 731696

OS Grid: NO213316

Mapcode National: GBR VB.9BFM

Mapcode Global: WH6Q1.MM78

Entry Name: Dunsinane Hill, fort

Scheduled Date: 29 September 1951

Last Amended: 6 March 1997

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM1595

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric domestic and defensive: fort (includes hill and promontory fort)

Location: Collace

County: Perth and Kinross

Electoral Ward: Carse of Gowrie

Traditional County: Perthshire

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a hillfort of later prehistoric date. It also has historical associations with Macbeth although no remains dating to that period can be identified on the hill by field inspection alone.

The monument comprises a strongly defended inner enclosure, measuring some 52m by 25m, within a wall spread to some 9m wide, and displaying evidence of successive reconstructions. A series of outer enclosures defines occupation areas on natural terraces around the flanks of the hill, and encloses a number of hut circles. Further traces of occupation lie beyond these outer enclosures.

This re-scheduling extends the original scheduled area on the S and SE to encompass a hut circle and other areas of likely former occupation previously excluded.

The area now to be scheduled encompasses the visible remains and an area around them in which traces of associated activity may be expected to survive. It is irregular in shape with maximum dimensions of 475m from its NW extremity to its SE and 320m NNE-SSW, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as an Iron Age fort with well preserved field characteristics; despite disturbance in the 18th and 19th centuries, it has the potential to enhance considerably our understanding of the nature and development of Iron Age (and possibly also later) defensive sites. It is also of importance as one of a number of hill forts in this part of Tayside; together with the ample cropmark evidence for settlement in the low ground between Perth and Dundee they offer an opportunity to understand the relationship between lowland settlement and defensive sites in the prehistoric period. Although the connection of the site with Macbeth is based as much on literary as historical tradition, the site has a place in the national consciousness.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NO 23 SW 1.00.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Other nearby scheduled monuments

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