Archaeology Notes

Event ID 792424

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/792424

NT27SE 38 2694 7301 to 2704 7332

(NT 2694 7301 - NT 2704 7332) Earthwork (NR)

OS 25" map, (1968)

See also NT27SE 3943.

A single terraced line of walling, similar to that of the fort described on NT27SE 93, can be traced along the slopes W of Hunter's Bog, cutting off a large corner of Salisbury Crags ('B' on RCAHMS plan).

This walling, with some massive revetment blocks, runs for 375 yards, and is surmounted by a stone-faced turf dyke demonstrably contemporary with the largest extent of the Camstone Quarry, which has removed about 160 yards of the wall, after which gap, another portion, about 100 yards long may be seen.

Ritchie (1972) considers that the remains are those of an Iron Age fort c. 25 acres in size, defended on its other sides by the cliffs of Salisbury Crags, while Stevenson (1949) tentatively suggests a Dark Age date for the walling.

Barrow (1959) notes that charters of the period 1128-1147 indicate that part of Arthur's Seat was owned by the canons of Holyrood, and the other part belonged to a certain Uviet, who also possessed a village associated with the crag and called Treverlen; this latter was also an ecclesiastical parish, belonging to the monks of Kelso, and Barrow identifies it with Duddingston. St Anthony's Chapel was on the Duddingston side of the boundary. The division was the subject of a lawsuit between the different monks in the time of King David, and was confirmed in 1159.

(R B K Stevenson 1949; RCAHMS 1951; G W S Barrow 1959; J N G Ritchie and A Ritchie 1972).

This stretch of walling is generally as described in previous information.

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