Description

Castle Findlay is a fort with outworks on a knoll in the fork of two burns. The fort is approximately oval in plan and measures 33m N-S by 16m E-W. The wall of the fort survives as a turf-covered bank of rubble stones spread to 6m wide in which occasional burnt stones and a few small pieces of vitrified stone can be seen. The inner earthwork defences of the fort are surrounded at a lower level by a ditch, which averages 3m wide and 1m deep. This ditch is scarped into the slope and has an outer mound forming a rampart 3.5m wide and 1m high. This outer defence is broken in two places - in the E where there is a declavity leading down the slope from the fort to a water- hole and in the N. The entrance almost certainly lay to the N of the fort and outside the N gap in the outer rampart is a horn-shaped earthwork which protected the entrance. The area to be scheduled measures a maximum of 145m N-S by 110m E-W, to include the fort and an area around it in which traces of activities associated with its use will survive, as shown in red on the attached plan.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a well preserved example of a prehistoric fort. The rampart is partially vitrified and contains information on the construction and destruction of the fort. Traces of buildings associated with the fort will survive in its interior. This settlement evidence will be capable of providing important information on the economy and domestic life.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS record the site as NH85SE 7.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland