Kildoon Fort
Fort (Prehistoric), Vitrified Stone (Prehistoric)
Site Name Kildoon Fort
Classification Fort (Prehistoric), Vitrified Stone (Prehistoric)
Canmore ID 40829
Site Number NS20NE 6
NGR NS 29871 07391
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/40829
- Council South Ayrshire
- Parish Maybole
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Kyle And Carrick
- Former County Ayrshire
NS20NE 6 2986 0738
(NS 2986 0732) Kildoon (NAT)
Fort (NR)
OS 1:10000 map (1972).
For Sir Charles Fergusson's Monument (NS 29899 07378), within the area of this fort, see NS20NE 67.
The plan of this fort closely resembles that of Trusty's Hill fort (NX55NE 2); an inner vitrified rampart, oval on plan, encloses an area some 150ft by 100ft. This is supplemented by another rampart which has been carried round the side of the hill and also by an outer hornwork on the W side; both are accompanied by an external rock-cut ditch. Part of the defences have been destroyed by a monument to Sir Charles Fergusson of Kilkerran.
In 1953, the RCAHMS noticed vitrifaction at the NE corner of the base of the monument, and the SE corner of the rampart.
V G Childe and A Graham 1943; RCAHMS MS, visited 1953; R W Feachem 1963.
This fort is as described above.
Resurveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (WDJ) 16 March 1967
NS 2987 0738. This vitrified fort is situated on the E end of a prominent ridge with steep natural slopes on all sides except the W.
The defences enclose a grassed, undulating, oval area of approximately 55.0m E-W by 25.0m transversely (0.1 hectare, 0.25 acre) showing no trace of occupation. Around the contoured perimeter and along the inner rampart on the W side, the entirely robbed course of a wall at least 2.0 m thick is visible. On the line of this wall, to the NE of the monument at NS 2990 0738, and at the S end of the inner rampart at NS 2985 0737, much vitrified stone was revealed by probing.
The three external ditched ramparts on the W side (maximum height 3.5m) defend the ridge-top approach, and it is from this side that the original stepped-cut access way extends around the S slopes to a well-defined entrance flanked on both sides by the inner rampart.
The less severe upper slopes of the N and E sides appear to have been cut back leaving a terrace effect, but much of this may be of natural or later quarry origin.
Revised at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (JRL), 7 June 1977.
Field Visit (8 September 1942)
This site was included within the RCAHMS Emergency Survey (1942-3), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, vary from short notes to lengthy and full descriptions and are available to view online with contemporary sketches and photographs. The original typescripts, manuscripts, notebooks and photographs can also be consulted in the RCAHMS Search Room.
Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 10 December 2014.
Field Visit (29 April 1953)
This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, are available to view online - see the searchable PDF in 'Digital Items'. These vary from short notes, to lengthy and full descriptions. Contemporary plane-table surveys and inked drawings, where available, can be viewed online in most cases - see 'Digital Images'. The original typecripts, notebooks and drawings can also be viewed in the RCAHMS search room.
Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 19 July 2013.
Field Visit (September 1982)
Kildoon Hill NS 298 073 NS20NE 6
On the E end of the ridge known as Kildoon Hill there are the remains of a fort measuring about 46m by 23m within a vitrified wall, now extensively robbed on the Wand SE and partly overlain on the E by a monument to Sir Charles Fergusson of Kilkerran. On the W, the wall is accompanied by two outer ramparts, each of them having an external quarry ditch. The entrance was probably on the WSW, where there is a terraced trackway on the slopes below the ends of the outer ramparts.
RCAHMS 1983, visited September 1982
(Name Book, Ayr, No. 46, p. 142; Christison 1893, 396; Smith 1895, 178-9; Childe and Graham 1943, 39-40; Feachem 1977, 109-10)
Note (15 July 2014 - 16 November 2016)
This fort is situated on the E end of a prominent ridge that rises out of the undulating landscape S of Maybole. Oval on plan, it measures about 46m from E to W by 23m transversely (0.08ha) within what has evidently been a heavily vitrified wall or rampart, though it has been extensively robbed on the W and SE, and is partly overlain by the monument to Sir Charles Fergusson of Kilkerran. Additional defence on the W is provided by two outer ramparts with external ditches, which cut across the spine of the ridge. The entrance is probably on the WSW, where a terraced trackway passes along the slope below the terminals of the two outer ramparts to approach a gap in the inner wall.
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 16 November 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC1231
