Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Dalmahoy Hill, fort

A Scheduled Monument in Pentland Hills, City of Edinburgh

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 55.8878 / 55°53'16"N

Longitude: -3.3823 / 3°22'56"W

OS Eastings: 313636

OS Northings: 666938

OS Grid: NT136669

Mapcode National: GBR 40TC.J7

Mapcode Global: WH6SX.08NN

Entry Name: Dalmahoy Hill, fort

Scheduled Date: 9 October 1998

Last Amended: 9 October 2008

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM1213

Schedule Class: Cultural

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

Location: Ratho

County: City of Edinburgh

Electoral Ward: Pentland Hills

Traditional County: Midlothian

Description

The monument comprises a fort of prehistoric and early medieval date, visible as a series of upstanding earthworks and walls. It is being rescheduled in order to clarify and extend the protected area.

The monument occupies the summit and upper slopes of Dalmahoy Hill, an area of rough grassland with many rock outcrops, at around 235m OD. The site commands extensive views, particularly over the Firth of Forth to the N. On the summit of the hill is a heavily enclosed citadel visible as a ring-shaped mound of collapsed masonry. Surface finds from this area, as well as structural characteristics, indicate high-status occupation in the 6th-8th centuries AD.

The lower slopes of the hill are enclosed by numerous walls, some defensive and some probably enclosing areas of former cultivation. House platforms are visible in some areas, the most prominent being on the E end of the highest ridge. These are more likely to be of Iron Age date, and some of the ramparts may also date to that period.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related material may be expected to be found. It is irregular in shape with maximum dimensions of 650m between its N and S-most points, and 700m between its E and W-most points, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.