Archaeology Notes

Event ID 669113

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/669113

NJ70NW 1.00 7260 0714

NJ70NW 1.01 c. 726 071 stone axes

NJ70NW 1.02 c. 7260 0714 observatory

(NJ 7260 0753) Fort (NR)

OS 6" map, (1959)

The multi-vallate hillfort of Barmekin of Echt is comparable to the Brown Caterthun, Angus (NO56NE 1) in having an unusual number of ramparts and an inordinate number of entrances; it is situated on top of Barmekin Hill, 900ft OD, at NJ 7260 0714 and comprises 5 concentric ramparts annotated A to E on the 25" survey; A being the outermost, E the innermost, enclosing an area 370 feet in diameter.

Ramparts A, B,and C appear as heather-covered rubble banks, maximum height 2.8m.

D is a dry-stone wall surrounded by tumble, but both wall faces can be seen intermittently and reveal an original thickness of 2.6m.

E is also of dry stone-construction but in a more ruinous condition than 'D', and must originally have been more substantial,being approximately 3.7m original thickness, and surrounded by a greater quantity of tumble. In the SE, 2 heather-covered stone walls, 0.5m high, join walls D and E. The fort is pierced by five entrances, numbered 1-5 on the 25" survey, but of these nos. 3 and 5 are blocked by the stone walls D and E which are therefore a later construction than A B and C. In all cases, except with entrance No. 1, the hollow-way, caused by flanking earthen banks, associated with the entrances, continues from the outer ramparts to wall E, which suggests that the original fort comprised 5 ramparts, and that walls D and E were later built over the inner two (Feachem 1954) which were probably of the same earthern construction as A, B and C. All entrances are stepped to form a zig zag, with the ramparts bending slightly in at each side of the entrance, except no. 2 which is probably the fairly modern access way to the now ruined observatory (NJ70NW 1.02 c. 7260 0714).

At entrance No. 4 the gap through D is probably modern as access to it is barred by a line of upright stones on the W side of the hollow way. As there is an original entrance through wall E at this spot, and also as wall E is more ruinous than D, it seems likely that wall D was constructed after E, blocking this means access. Feachem (1954) states that entrance no. 1, on the N side of the fort, is not original, but it certainly has the appearance of antiquity and conforms to the zig-zag pattern of entrances 3, 4 and 5. The modern entrance, No. 2, is now the only one which gives access to the centre of the fort in a 'direct approach' manner.

The Barmekin of Echt is distinguished in having an unusual number of ramparts and entrances. There seems little doubt that at least two, and possibly three, structural phases are represented in this fort.

Resurveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (NKB) 19 October 1964.

R W Feachem 1954; W D Simpson 1920; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1890.

(Location cited as NJ 7259 0713; classified as Site of Regional Significance). Incomplete multivallate hillfort on summit at altitude of 275m OD. Comprises 5 concentric ramparts, the three outermost appearing as earth and rubble banks and the two innermost are of drystone walling.

Air photographic imagery and bibliographic references listed.

NMRS, MS/712/35.

Scheduled as Barmekin of Echt, fort, Barmekin Hill.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 20 June 2002.