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Archaeology Notes

Event ID 709329

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/709329

NS99NW 5 9116 9769.

(NS 9118 9768) Fort (NR) (Site of)

OS 25"map, (1961)

Before its destruction by quarrying (Cruden 1964) Castle Craig fort consisted of a deep rock-cut ditch with a stone wall along the inner tip and the remains of a stony rampart on the outer, cutting off an area of the tip of the promontory measuring 300' in width by at least 200', and probably originally more in length. The interior contains an exactly circular enclosure measuring 82' in diameter within the remains of a very well built stone wall 12' thick. Whether or not the two structures are contemporary cannot be decided from the surface remains which do not coincide at any point, but the probability is that the circular enclosure is an intruder, and may be of post-Roman date.

Maclagan (1875) notes 3 concentric circular walls, 35' apart, the central circle 80' in diameter, and adds that the stones have nearly all been used to build sheepfolds, the square walls of which may be traced within the circular walls.

C Maclagan 1875; RCAHMS 1933; R W Feachem 1963; S Cruden 1964.

NS 9116 9769: This fort or dun has been greatly destroyed. The course of the wall, some 3 - 4m broad on the NW, can be traced all round the top of the spur on which the site lies. The interior is fairly level except for a slight rise on the S side, and is covered with stone debris. Where the inner face of the wall is visible, it can be seen that it was constructed with large undressed stones. About 10.0m beyond the N face of the wall is the ditch partly artificially cut through rock. At this point, on top of the scarp, is the faint course of a wall some 0.5m wide which is probably a remnant of the later sheepfold. An active quarry is encroaching on the SE of the site.

Visited by OS (J L D) 12 June 1953.

This fort has been totally destroyed by quarrying.

Visited by OS (J P) 11 December 1973.

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