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Note
Date 20 December 2013 - 1 November 2016
Event ID 1045382
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Note
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1045382
This promontory fort occupies Crammag Head, a bare rocky headland crowned by a small lighthouse on the W coast of the Rhinns of Galloway. Its defences comprise a single rampart with an external ditch, which cut off the landward approach from the E. The rampart has been heavily damaged and at its N end has been reduced to little more than a scatter of stones, but towards the S it increases to a maximum of 4.4m in thickness by 0.5m in height, and the accompanying ditch is 5.5m in breadth by 0.3m in depth; a gap between their southern terminals and the edge of the promontory probably marks the position of the entrance. The extent of the interior is difficult to determine, extending to a maximum of 0.6ha where the bare rock steps down to the sea on the W. The occupiable area, however, would have been considerably smaller and perhaps as little as 0.2ha, representing the current extent of continuous grass cover on the top of the promontory, which was formerly occupied by a broch or dun, though this was partly demolished about 1913 when the lighthouse was erected. The broch or dun measured about 19.5m in overall diameter, and while little more than a scatter of stones remains of its wall on the E, the basal course of the outer face, comprising massive granite blocks up to 1m in length, can be traced around the W, and up to three courses are visible on the NW. The broch or dun was positioned on the seaward side of a narrow neck formed by a precipitous crevice that runs into the headland from the NW some 20m behind the rampart of the fort. The crevice has been enhanced as a defensive outwork to the broch or dun, creating a broad ditch to either side of central causeway some 2.5m wide and faced on the S with granite boulders. On this side of the causeway the ditch is 6.5m in breadth by 1.1m in depth, but to the N its breadth increases to 9m and it is 1.3m in depth.
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 01 November 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC0176
