Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Dumfries & Galloway MDG1125; MDG1124 (None)
NMR: NX 13 SW 17 (61051)
SM: 2021
NGR: NX 1438 3073
X: 214381 Y: 530735 (OSGB36)
What may be the largest Iron Age enclosure in Scotland is situated on the Mull of Galloway, a large promontory some 1.7km long which forms the southernmost tip of the Rhinns of Galloway. Girt with steep slopes and cliffs, the crest of the promontory rises gently eastwards from a narrow isthmus about 20m above the shore into a low ridge at about 50m OD, descending into a shallow saddle before climbing more steeply to the broad summit of the Mull itself, where a Bronze Age cairn stands at a height of about 75m OD. Two lines of boundary works can be seen at the isthmus, each of rather different character. The first lies on the NW side of the isthmus and comprises a substantial bank some 130m long and up to 4m high, which picks up the line of the coastal escarpment flanking the landward side to block access at its narrowest point. The other adopts a position on the rising ground about 320m to the SE, with its NE end resting on the coastal escarpment overlooking the S side of the bay on the east side of the isthmus (East Tarbet), and its SW end on the cliffs forming the Mull side of a precipitous gully that cuts back into the promontory from the sea. Comprising three ditches with medial banks, it measures about 410m in length and its topographic position is clearly designed to cut off an area of at least 54ha extending eastwards to the Mull. Survey of the earthworks in 1984, suggested that there were at least three phases of construction, the most recent of which is a post-medieval turf dyke that caps the inner bank for most of its length and blocks at least two of what may have been three original gaps, dismounting at the SW end to descend to the cliff-edge at a sharp angle; it is unclear whether the line taken by the road exploits an additional entrance. Evaluation trenches cut in 2000 confirmed that the inner of the banks, which measures between 3m and 4m in thickness and stands to a maximum external height of 2.2m, was built in two phases, and also showed that in its primary phase it was associated with a palisade (Strachan 2000); what appear to be packing stones set upright in the crest of the bank were observed in one eroded sector in 2013.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Unconfirmed
X: -542988 Y: 7291829 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.877743507723728 Latitude: 54.637508897148585 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Scotland
Current County or Unitary Authority: Dumfries & Galloway
Historic County: Wigtownshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Kirkmaiden
None
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
None
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
The main band of earthworks is situated at about 35m OD but the summit of the undulating internal area is at 75m OD.
| Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✓ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
| Hilltop | ✗ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✓ |
| Inland Promontory | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: None
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 30.0m
N/A
There are neither stratified artefacts nor radiocarbon dates to provide a chronology for the earthworks. The 2000 trenches through both ramparts furnished no dating evidence.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | While the dates of several objects found on the Mull are are unknown, two polished stone axes were found in the 19th century (NMAS 1892 )at least |
| Post Hillfort: | Earthworks surmounted by post-medieval turf dyke, which is probably associated with a square turf fold at the SW end. |
Noted by the author of the New Statistical Account in 1839 (NSA), only the northern earthwork is shown as an antiquity on the 1st edition OS 6-inch map (Wigtownshire 1850, sheet 36), though this was rectified in 1894 with the preparation of the first 25-inch map (Wigtownshire 1895, sheet 37.11). Described in detail by RCAHMS in the County Inventory for Wigtownshire (RCAHMS 1912, 58-9, No. 148), in 1955 it was revisited by Kenneth Steer, who having planned the earthworks was of the opinion that they were neither of great antiquity nor defensive. Re-surveyed yet again by RCAHMS in 1984, in 2000 evaluation trenches and geophysical survey was carried out on behalf of Historic Scotland by CFA to assess ongoing damage through erosion. It was Scheduled in 1939.
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1839): | NSA (1834-45), v4, Wigtownshire, 207-8 |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1848): | Annotated Intrenchment on the 1st edition OS 6-inch map (Wigtownshire 1850, sheet 36) |
| Other (1894): | Annotated Entrenchment on the OS 25-inch map (Wigtownshire 1895, sheet 37.11) |
| Other (1911): | Description (RCAHMS 1912, 58-9, No. 148) |
| Other (1939): | Scheduled |
| Earthwork Survey (1955): | 1mm:2ft (RCAHMS WGD 17/1-2) |
| Other (1972): | Visited by the OS but not regarded as an antiquity and deleted from the map |
| Earthwork Survey (1984): | 1:1000 (RCAHMS DC57573) |
| Excavation (2000): | CFA (Strachan ; RCAHMS MS1081/3; MS36/173; MS726/178) |
| Other (2014): | Visited by Hillfort Study Group |
Apart from the Bronze Age cairn and a cupmarked boulder, the interior is featureless,
At least two springs are shown on OS maps of the Mull of Galloway.
| None | ✗ |
| Spring | ✓ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Features | ✓ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
No Iron Age finds known, but gold objects of unknown type are supposed to have been found in a 'fosse' at the Mull of Galloway (Maxwell 1885, 38). A chert arrowhead is also supposed to have been found in the entrenchments (Maxwell 1885, 34), while a flint spearhead is said to have been found 'on the old beach at West Tarbert, beside the old fortifications' (Wilson 1878, 30). Two polished stone axes are also said to have been found near the entrenchments (Williams 1970, 111, 118)
| No Known Finds | ✓ |
| Pottery | ✗ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked | ✗ |
| None | ✓ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
See main summary
| 4: | None |
| 2: | At least three are blocked by a post-medieval turf dyke |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North west): | None |
| 2. Simple Gap (North west): | None |
| 3. Simple Gap (North west): | None |
| 4. Simple Gap (North west): | Represented by the gap for the road |
Two lines of earthworks, one a simple dump bank, the other with three ditches and medial banks and evidence of palisading.
| Area 1: | 54.0ha. |
| Total: | 54.0ha. |
Total Footprint Area: 61.5ha.
None
| ✓ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 3 |
| Total: | 3 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✓ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✓ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✓ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | None |
Number of Ditches: 3
| ✗ | None |
Maxwell, H E (1885) 'Ancient weapons, instruments, utensils and ornaments of Wigtonshire. With list of the principal stone implements recorded from Wigtonshire', Archaeol Hist Collect Ayrshire Galloway, vol.5
NSA (1834-1845) The new statistical account of Scotland by the ministers of the respective parishes under the superintendence of a committee of the society for the benefit of the sons and daughters of the clergy.
RCAHMS (1912) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Fourth report and inventory of monuments and constructions in Galloway, 1, county of Wigtown, Edinburgh
Strachan, R (2000a) 'Mull of Galloway linear earthworks, Dumfries and Galloway (Kirkmaiden parish), survey; evaluative excavation', Discovery Excav Scot 1, 21
Williams, J (1970a) 'Neolithic axes in Dumfries and Galloway', Trans Dumfriesshire Galloway Natur Hist Antiq Soc, ser 3, 47
Wilson, G (1878) 'Notes on the ancient stone implements of Wigtonshire', Archaeol Hist Collect Ayr Wigton, 1
Wilson, G (1885) 'Description of ancient forts, etc., in Wigtownshire'. Archaeol Hist Collect Ayrshire Galloway 5 (1885), 62-73
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
and should be cited as:
Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk
Document Version 1.1