Archaeology Notes

Event ID 722900

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/722900

NT66NW 1 6135 6860

(NT 6135 6860) White Castle (NAT)

Hill Fort (NR)

OS 6" map (1957)

White Castle, an Early Iron Age fort, stands on a promontory (1,000ft OD) defended on three sides by steep slopes. It is oval on plan, measuring internally 230ft by 180ft, and is surrounded by triple ramparts which may have been topped by stone walls. At least three possible hut circles, visible at the time of the RCAHMS visit in 1913 were not seen during the marginal lands survey (RCAHMS MSS).

RCAHMS 1924, visited 1913; R W Feachem 1963

This fort is generally as described by the RCAHMS, although on the NE face there are clearly only two scarps, the third being the natural slope. However, around the N and NE, between the inner scarp and the RCAHMS second scarp, there is a further scarp, an added line of defence, no doubt upon which was placed a wall; at this point there is a clear break in the defences, but whether or not this is original cannot be ascertained. Within the interior and between two of the ramparts there are several scoops, representing the site of timber huts.

Resurveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (RD) 26 August 1968

A watching brief was maintained during pipe-laying operations outside the fort on its SW and W sides. With the exception of an enigmatic feature (connected with hill drainage ?) seen in the pipeline section W of the fort, nothing of archaeological significance was noted.

I Ralston 1973