Archaeology Notes

Event ID 715043

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/715043

NT27SE 90 2545 7064.

(NT 2545 7064) Fort (NR)

OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)

There are indefinite remains of a walled fort on the highest point of Blackford Hill, about 300 yards W of the Observatory buildings. The remains consist of the much-broken fragments of two portions of wall foundations on the NE, and indications of a 24ft wide entrance in the E. The fort seems to have had at least two lines of defence on the N and NE, the inner one having a spread of 9ft and a scarp of 21ft which sinks to a fairly level terrace some 13ft wide before reaching the outer at a lower level, which shows a spread of about 7ft. The outer ridge on the E appears to have had a retaining faces of stone. The fort is in a strong defensive position.

RCAHMS 1929, visited 1927.

The slight traces of the fort are generally as described above. The two scarps on the NE side form the main remnants of the fort. The entrance on the E side is 4.0m wide. Both scarps bear traces of walling on the crests (up to 3.0m wide in places), and debris can be seen on their slopes. The base of the inner wall or rampart can be traced running round the SW side of the site in the form of a scatter of stones; here and there the line of an outer revetment face can be seen. The outer line of defence is traceable on the NW side as a short scarp with traces of walling on its crest. A possible entrance, 3.0m wide, is near the SW corner of the fort. Both inner and outer ramparts end on the cliff edge of the hill on the S and SE.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (J L D) 29 December 1953.

This fort is as described in the various field reports.

Visited by OS (S F S) 8 December 1975.