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Castle Hillock
Motte (Medieval)(Possible), Souterrain (Prehistoric), Coin(S) (Medieval)
Site Name Castle Hillock
Classification Motte (Medieval)(Possible), Souterrain (Prehistoric), Coin(S) (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Kildrummy, Mons Castrie
Canmore ID 17086
Site Number NJ41NE 16
NGR NJ 4709 1691
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/17086
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Kildrummy
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
NJ41NE 16 4709 1691.
(NJ 4708 1690) Erd House (NR) (Site of)
OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 2nd ed., (1902)
The site of an Erd House which stood on a conspicuous Mound but was cleared away many years before 1867 when no trace of it was visible.
Name Book 1867.
(NJ 4712 1680) Simpson (1929) shows a Castlehillock at Nether Kildrummy and believes it to be the 'mons castri' at Kildrummy in medieval references. 'It has every appearance of a well preserved motte.' (W D Simpson 1928 confuses this with Bogneish Hillock, to the south)
W D Simpson 1928; 1929; 1943.
The site of the souterrain is on Castle Hillock, a large gravel mound at NJ 4709 1691 and the motte identified by Simpson.
Mr Reid (P Reid, Mossat, Lumsden) has ploughed up large 'building stones' and probing has revealed quite a depth of soft blackish earth. These may have been the remains of a souterrain but could equally well have been part of a later building; presumably the 'castle', perhaps giving birth to the idea of a souterrain.
Continued ploughing has smoothed the outline of the mound and there is no trace of outer ditch or bank. Several medieval coins, one of which was 15th century, have been found on the summit but have since been lost.
Visited by OS (N K B) 20 September 1968.
Nothing is now visible of the souterrain that is said to have been found on the top of Castle Hillock, a large sand and gravel hillock that is situated 100m NE of Merchant's Croft. The profile of the hillock has been smoothed by cultivation, and, although it has been suggested that it is a motte, there is no evidence that the summit has been artificially levelled or that the sides have been scarped.
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS), 15 October 1997.
