Archaeology Notes

Event ID 702934

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/702934

NS55NW 3 5010 5590.

(NS 5010 5590) Fort (NR)

OS 6" map, (1974)

Fort, Duncarnock: The summit of Duncarnock consists of a broad ridge at the north end of which a rocky knoll rises rather suddenly (to a height of 204m OD) The fort comprises a wall, originally about 10ft thick, which takes in the whole feature, and the suggestion of a partial inner defence round the knoll. The fort measures 630ft by 330ft; the summit of the knoll, 110ft by 80ft. A wide terrace fronts the entire length of the south rampart. A piece of pre-Roman native pottery and a fragment of worked shale were picked up near the north east corner of the fort by Newall in 1958.

F Newall 1958; 1960; R W Feachem 1963.

This fort is generally as described by Feachem (1963) and planned by the RCAHMS (see archive). A field bank crosses the south west corner of the fort; at NS 5007 5585 where it crosses the fort wall, the face of the wall has been cleared of turf, and runs through the field bank without a break although the later appears to be secondary. No further information was obtained about the pottery and shale fragment, they are not in Paisley Museum.

Resurveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (J T T) 2 December 1964.

Laing (1975), comparing this fort with others in the Lothians suggests that it was re-occupied in the Early Christian period.

L R Laing 1975.

A low, stony embankment, across the south approach and 50m from the fort, survives for about 100m. Curving north, it comes to within 20m of the earlier structure and merges with possibly outworks.

T C Welsh 1977, 1978.

for further details see MS/1508

Photographed by the RCAHMS.

Visible on RCAHMS air photograph RE 1054-9: flown 1977.

This fort is generally as previously described. Numerous small quarry scoops are visible close to the inner face of the rampart, which in places, but especially on the SE, exhibits a vertical external wall-face of large boulders. The disused Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar at the NE end of the interior bears a brass identification plate bearing the legend 'OS BSM 3618' .

Visited by RCAHMS (AGCH) 18 June 2007.