Accessibility

Font Size

100% 150% 200%

Background Colour

Default Contrast
Close Reset

Publication Account

Date 1987

Event ID 1016975

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016975

These two hillforts are impressive examples of prehistoric man's skills in engineering, using earth and stone to construct defensive ramparts and walls; like the great henge monument at Balfarg (no. 93) they illustrate a social order capable of marshalling a large work-force and considerable resources in terms of quarrying and timber.

The Brown Caterthun occupies the broad summit of the hill, with the outer defences set a little below the actual hilltop. The most impressive of the several lines of defence is a wall about 7 m in thickness, which encloses an area some 150 m by 180 m, and is now broken by nine entrances; several outer facing-stones can be seen, as well as stones of the entrance passages, particularly in the south-east flank. Within this fort there is a less well-preserved line of enclosure measuring about 90 m by 60 m internally. The main wall was additionally defended by double ramparts with a broad quarry ditch between them; breaks in the ramparts and causeways across the ditch line up with the entrances to the fort, and thus belong to the same period of defensive design. The outermost defences comprise two ramparts with an outer ditch and take in an area about 330m by 310 m over all; the entrances through these ramparts do not in all cases line up with the inner suite, and thus it is likely that they belong to a later phase of occupation.

The White Caterthun is crowned by a massive stonewalled fort measuring about 140 m by 60 m internally within a pair of walls, the inner measuring about 12 m in thickness and up to 3 m in height with the outer wall some 6 m in thickness. Within the fort there is a rock-cut cistern at least 3 m deep at the west end as well as traces of a rectilinear enclosure of no great age.Outside the fort further lines of defence can be seen, including a rampart with internal quarry ditch and further enclosing banks lower down the slopes.

On the west side of the fort between the stone walls and the outer rampart there is a large boulder measuring about 2 m by 1 m, which bears about seventy cup-markings.

Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Fife and Tayside’, (1987).

People and Organisations

References