Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

SC2456 Duntroon, Argyll

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  The West of Scotland Archaeology Service 4040 (None)

NMR:  NR 89 NW 10 (39450)

SM:  240

NGR:  NR 8029 9597

X:  180290  Y:  695970  (OSGB36)

Summary

Occupying the summit of a low-lying ridge, the defences of this fort comprise two elements: an inner enclosure on the very summit; and an outer enclosure taking in a larger area following a natural shoulder lower down the slope. The inner enclosure measures 45m from NNE to SSW by 27m transversely (0.09ha) within a band of rubble about 2.5m in thickness; extensive vitrifaction can be seen along the inner margin of the rubble spread round the N and W, and two short runs of outer face are also visible on the W, in one place standing 1.3m high in three courses. Elsewhere the line of the outer face was traced in excavations carried out in 1904; though no trace of the inner face was located. A gap in the wall on the NW possibly marks the position of the entrance. The outer enclosure describes a D-shape on plan, backing onto the cliff-edge on the NW and measuring about 83m from NE to SW by 46m transversely within a heavily-robbed wall reduced to a band of rubble about 2m in thickness, with a single run of outer face exposed on the SW; its core contains numerous fragments of vitrified stone, probably indicating that it was constructed or at the very least rebuilt as a free-standing enclosure after the fire that destroyed the inner enclosure. The cliff-edge on the NW seems to have provided sufficient protection to this enclosure, but on the SW there are also traces of two robbed outer walls, and likewise there were probably outer lines on the NE.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -616138  Y:  7579519  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -5.534861171294817  Latitude:  56.105864327124216  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Scotland

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Argyll & Bute

Historic County:  Argyll

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Kilmartin

Monument Condition

None

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

None

Current Use:
Woodland  
Commercial Forestry Plantation  
Parkland  
Pasture (Grazing)  
Arable  
Scrub/Bracken  
Bare Outcrop  
Heather/Moorland  
Heath  
Built-up  
Coastal Grassland  
Other  

Landscape

Hillfort Type

None

Type:
Contour Fort  
Partial Contour Fort  
Promontory Fort  
Hillslope Fort  
Level Terrain Fort  
Marsh Fort  
Multiple Enclosure Fort  

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop  
Coastal Promontory  
Inland Promontory  
Valley Bottom  
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop  
Ridge  
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp  
Hillslope  
Lowland  
Spur  

Dominant Topographic Feature:  None

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  30.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Although undated, the thirty-six saddle querns recovered in the excavations of 1904, and the complete absence of rotary querns, probably indicates an early to mid Iron Age date.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC  
1200BC - 800BC  
800BC - 400BC  
400BC - AD50  
AD50 - AD400  
AD400 - AD 800  
Post AD800  
Unknown  

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   Lithics
Post Hillfort:   Heavy robbing

Evidence:
Artefactual:   None

Investigation History

None

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1865):   Annotated Fort (vitrified) on the 1st edition OS 25-inch map (Argyll and Bute 1874, sheet 149.10)
Excavation (1904):   Society of Antiquaries programme directed by David Christison (1905, 270-85)
Other (1933):   Scheduled
Other (1963):   Description (Campbell and Sandeman 1962, 55, 118)
Other (1973):   resurveyed at 1:2500 by the OS
Other (1977):   Surveyed at 1:10,000 by the OS
Earthwork Survey (1981):   Plan and description (RCAHMS 1988, 164-5, no.257: RCAHMS DC13307)
Other (2013):   Re-Scheduled

Interior Features

Featureless

Water Source

None

Source:
None  
Spring  
Stream  
Pool  
Flush  
Well  
Other  

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features  
Round Stone Structures  
Rectangular Stone Structures  
Curvilinear Platforms  
Other Roundhouse Evidence  
Pits  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics  
Pits  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Finds

Finds from the excavations of 1904 include thirty-six saddle querns, three flint scapers and several flakes and cores, a piece of lignite, and several hammerstones and polishers.

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds  
Pottery  
Metal  
Metalworking  
Human Bones  
Animal Bones  
Lithics  
Environmental  
Other  

Aerial

obscured by trees

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked  
None  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roads/Tracks  
Other  

Entrances

See main summary

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (North west):   None

Enclosing Works

Inner and outer enclosure, the former with a continuous vitrified wall and the latter possibly later with up to three lines of defence backing onto the cliff edge

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.09ha.
Area 2:   0.3ha.
Total:   0.3ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   3
SE Quadrant:   2
SW Quadrant:   4
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   4

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  
Unknown  

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  

Surface Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Rubble  
Wall-walk  
Evidence of Timber  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
Other  

Excavated Evidence

Inner face identified

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Murus Duplex  
Timber-framed  
Timber-laced  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
No Known Excavation  
Other  

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✗   None

Number of Ditches:  None

Annex:
✗   Unclear whether the outer enclosure is an annexe or a free-standing defence

References

Campbell and Sandeman, M and M (1962) 'Mid Argyll: an archaeological survey', Proc Soc Antiq Scot 95 (1961-2), 1-125

Christison, D (1905) 'Report on the Society's excavations of forts on the Poltalloch Estate, Argyll, in 1904-5'. Proc Soc Antiq Scot 39 (1904-5), 259-322

RCAHMS (1988) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: an inventory of the monuments volume 6: Mid-Argyll and Cowal, prehistoric and early historic monuments. HMSO: Edinburgh



Terms of Use

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


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