Duntroon

Photographs from the excavation at Duntroon fort.

The heavily wooded summit of a ridge about 130m N of Duntroon Lodge is occupied by the remains of a vitrified fort and its outworks. On the NW the fort is protected by a steep cliff rising some 15m from the adjacent ground, and on the NE a narrow gully impedes access along the spine of the ridge. On the SW and SE, however, approach is up the broken slopes of the ridge, and it is on these flanks that additional protection has been afforded by a series of outworks. Excavations were undertaken in 1904 as part of an exploratory programme by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland designed to examine the forts of the Crinan district, and the following description makes use of the published report (Campbell and Sandeman 1964; Christison 1903).

The main fort wall (A on RCAHMS plan), which encloses an area about 45m by 27m, survives for the most part as a band of stony rubble up to 2.5m thick; two short stretches of the outer face are visible on the W, standing to a height of 1.3m in three courses at a point where the surrounding rubble has been cleared away. Most of the circuit of the outer face was, however, traced in the course of the excavation, although the inner face could not be found. The wall was originally constructed with strengthening beams of timber, which in the course of conflagration have burned with such intensity that the wall-core has been heavily vitrified; long stretches of the inner half of the vitrified wall-core may be seen on the N and W, and, although little sign of vitrification may now be recognised elsewhere, it is clear from the report that the phenomenon was formerly evident on all sides. No traces of vitrification were found on the outer face of the wall.

The excavators also noted that the surface of the bedrock had been discoloured by intense heat for a distance of about 4m inside the wall, but only 1m on the outside. It is uncertain whether the 'large quantity of charred wood', which was discovered 'inside the walls', represented the remains of internal timber-lacing or, for example, of wooden buildings abutting the inner face of the wall. Although the interior was stripped to bedrock, no structures were recognised. The position of the entrance is not clear; it may be indicated by the broad gap in the wall-debris on the NW, at a point where a zig-zag path offers a precarious approach.

An outer wall (B), incorporating several isolated masses of vitrification, which are apparently derived from the ruins of wall A, has been drawn round the edge of a lower terrace, except on the NW, where the cliff made such additional protection unnecessary. The wall is now severely robbed and is for the most part a band of rubble about 2m thick with a single stretch of outer facing-stones on the SW. The excavators reported that the masses of vitrified material found in the core of the wall were in positions 'where they could not have fallen from the main work', but whether they were incorporated during its original construction, which would imply that it was a secondary work, or merely in some subsequent repair cannot be determined.

On the spine of rocky outcrop lying beyond the gully at the NE end of the fort there is a band of rubble (C), which may possibly be the remains of another outwork. (There are now no traces of the short length of walling on the S side of the gully which was noted in 1904.) On the SW side of the fort stretches of two outer walls may be traced (D and E), but stone-robbing has obscured their course and made it impossible to establish their original extent.

Among the finds recorded during the excavation were thirty-six saddle querns, three flint scrapers, various flakes and cores, a piece of jet or lignite, five hammer stones, four whetstones or polishers, six pebbles with indications of wear, and a possible stone sinker; the surviving finds are in the Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. (The Museum collections include stone pounders, polishers, whetstones, flint artefacts, and a grain rubber)

Visited June 1981

RCAHMS 1988

RCAHMS surveyed Duntroon fort on 11 June 1981 with plane-table and alidade producing a plan at a scale of 1:100. The plan of the fort was redrawn in ink and published at a scale of 1:250 (RCAHMS 1988a, 165).

Watching briefs were undertaken in March and April 2011 during the excavation of trenches at several locations along power lines in the Kilmichael and Duntrune areas. At NR 80952 96612, close to several prehistoric monuments around Poltalloch, the summit of a natural mound was stripped to increase clearance for an overhead cable. A pole trench was dug at NR 86658 93891, near the possible site of a cairn at Ducharnan. Three pole trenches were excavated close to several cup-marked rocks near Kilbride Farm, at NR 85137 96269, NR 85181 96323 and NR 85232 96379. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered in any of the trenches.

Archive and report: RCAHMS and WoSAS

Funder: Scottish and Southern Energy

Scotia Archaeology 2011

Information also reported in Oasis (scotiaar1-104630) 15 July 2011

NM 819 002 (centred on) The overall aim of the research project is to identify prehistoric copper mining in Scotland. The survey began, 13–28 May 2012, by visiting sites where probable hammerstones have been found. Sites visited included Barhullion, Balcraig, Kirklauchline and Wanlockhead all in Dumfries and Galloway, an area where the discovery of a copper ore (bornite) outcrop in a recent quarry at Kirklauchline was of particular interest.

Several other copper mining districts in SW and central Scotland were also visited, including the Tullich Mine at Loch Tay (Perth and Kinross), different sites in the mining district of Wanlockhead/Leadhills (Dumfries and Galloway/South Lanarkshire), Mary’s Mine/Tonderghie (Dumfries and Galloway) and the Kilmartin Copper Mine (Argyll and Bute). Around Bridge of Allan in the Ochill Hills are several copper outcrops where the late medieval Airthrey Hill Mine spoil heaps (Stirling) are easily accessible and still contain a good quantity of copper ores. In Argyll and Bute the mining remains of Abhain Strathain/Meall Mor, at Kilfinan (Murder Lode) and Castleton/Castletown (SE of Lochgilphead) revealed good ‘grey copper ores’, especially at Castleton where the mineralised vein outcrops are easily seen on the shore. In addition the 2012 survey discovered another ore vein along Kilmartin Glen, at the Duntroon Hillfort. The mineralisation is very interesting because of its proximity to numerous archaeological sites.

Further investigation is planned in the area and on other old mining sites in Scotland for 2013. A collection of ore samples has been stored at the National Museums of Scotland, which will hopefully be enlarged in the future to provide a reliable database for investigations, such as the comparison of trace element and lead-isotope ratios in the samples with those found in prehistoric metal objects.

Archive: National Museums of Scotland

Funder: German Archaeological Institute, Department Rome

Daniel Steiniger, German Archaeological Institute, Department Rome

2012

Occupying the summit of a low-lying ridge, the defences of this fort comprise two elements: an inner enclosure on the very summit; and an outer enclosure taking in a larger area following a natural shoulder lower down the slope. The inner enclosure measures 45m from NNE to SSW by 27m transversely (0.09ha) within a band of rubble about 2.5m in thickness; extensive vitrifaction can be seen along the inner margin of the rubble spread round the N and W, and two short runs of outer face are also visible on the W, in one place standing 1.3m high in three courses. Elsewhere the line of the outer face was traced in excavations carried out in 1904; though no trace of the inner face was located. A gap in the wall on the NW possibly marks the position of the entrance. The outer enclosure describes a D-shape on plan, backing onto the cliff-edge on the NW and measuring about 83m from NE to SW by 46m transversely within a heavily-robbed wall reduced to a band of rubble about 2m in thickness, with a single run of outer face exposed on the SW; its core contains numerous fragments of vitrified stone, probably indicating that it was constructed or at the very least rebuilt as a free-standing enclosure after the fire that destroyed the inner enclosure. The cliff-edge on the NW seems to have provided sufficient protection to this enclosure, but on the SW there are also traces of two robbed outer walls, and likewise there were probably outer lines on the NE.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 31 August 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC2456

The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed.