Archaeology Notes

Event ID 694593

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/694593

centred 1971 6746

A Civil Starfish type decoy site has been identified from vertical air photographs (106G/UK 435, 3180-3181, flown 24 June 1945), on the NW-facing slope of Warklaw Hill and about 750m NE of Easter Kinleith farmsteading.

Examination by stereoscope shows that the site consisted of at least fourteen small platforms, some having what appears to be a short flights of steps leading up from the lower slope. A further group of three or four are visible upslope at NT 1977 6739.

The control bunker is also visible on the photographs, at c. NT 1974 6726 near the summit of Warklaw Hill, along with the access track, now leading to a transmission mast and a u-shaped stone wall both depicted on the current OS 1:2500 scale digtal map.

Information from RCAHMS (DE, KM), November 2005

The decoy site is situated on steeply sloping ground SW of the former quarry. It was divided into to two sections, on the upper and lower slopes with a relatively level area between.

Two square platforms (c.NT 1968 6743) are discernable on the relatively level ground N of the lower slope which is covered by gorse bushes. Some small sections of concrete slabs were also found on and around the platforms, though whether they are related to them is not clear. The area immediately to the N of the lower slope also shows evidence of having been disturbed over a considerable length.

The control bunker situated immediately SW of a stone wall enclosure has been totally removed, though an area of slightly disturbed ground and courser vegetation is probably at the location. Only the access track can still be traced due to re-use for access to the modern transmission mast at NT 1991 6738.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE), 7 and 14 January 2006.