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Carrickcamrie, West Cairngaan
Promontory Fort (Iron Age)
Site Name Carrickcamrie, West Cairngaan
Classification Promontory Fort (Iron Age)
Canmore ID 61046
Site Number NX13SW 12
NGR NX 12976 31091
NGR Description Centre
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/61046
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Kirkmaiden
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Wigtown
- Former County Wigtownshire
NX13SW 12 1298 3109
(NX 1299 3110) Earthwork (NR)
OS 6" map (1957)
Promontory fort: A 22' wide by 10' deep ditch has been cut, partially through the rock, across the neck of this promontory. Above it, a rampart has been piled 6' - 7' high towards the interior of the fort, and also on the counterscarp. The ditch has been discontinued c. 10' from the edge of the precipice to form an entrance. In the field in front of the outer bank there are traces of an outer ditch. On the W side, running at right angles towards the scarp, but separated from it by the bed of a small stream which here falls over the cliff, is a traverse protecting the end of the ditch.
RCAHMS 1912, visited 1911
Generally as described by the RCAHMS, the fort measures internally c. 45.0m NE-SW by c. 17.0m transversely. The ditch appears to be unfinished, its E end consisting of two hollow on different levels. Re-surveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (DWR) 7 February 1972
This fort occupies a precipitous coastal promontory 820m S of West Cairngaan farmhouse. In plan the promontory is very irregular and its surface is uneven, the latter on account of a shallow gully which runs obliquely across the promontory from the field on the N to cliff-edge on the E. A massive rampart up to 6.3m thick by 1.7m high, with an external rock-cut ditch 8.8m broad by a maximum of 2m deep, has been constructed across the neck of the promontory, blocking the gully and diverting the stream that it carries over the cliff-edge on the W. About 1m outside the ditch there is a second rampart which runs from the E edge of the stream gully to a point 4m W of the ditch terminal; it measures 4.3m in thickness by 0.8m in height and is overlain by a later field-dyke. The entrance is on the NNE, where the defences stop short of the E side of the promontory; the gaps between the inner rampart and ditch, and the cliff-edge measure 1.3m and 3.5m wide respectively. The entrance
through the outer rampart is 3m wide, its E side flanked by a possible bank 2.5m thick and 0.4m high, which runs along the edge of the promontory. The interior of the fort measures a maximum of 42m from NNE to SSW by 18.5m transversely.
An outer ditch noted in the field to the N in 1911 is no longer visible and the 'traverse' on W side of the gully is a natural feature.
RCAHMS 1912; RCAHMS Survey of Marginal Lands; RCAHMS 1985, visited (SH) July 1984.
Field Visit (25 September 1953)
Promontory Fort, Carrickamrie (Inventory No. 146)
The following sketch of this fort was made at the date of visit, but there is nothing to add to the Inventory description.
Visited by RCAHMS 25 September 1953
Note (20 December 2013 - 18 May 2016)
This promontory work exploits the precipitous cliff-line on the S coast of the Rhinns of Galloway to cut off an irregular area measuring 42m from NNE to SSW by 18.5m transversely (0.06ha). Its defences comprise a massive rampart up to 6.3m thick by 1.7m high, accompanied by an external rock-cut ditch 8.8m broad by a maximum of 2m deep and a counterscarp rampart 4.3m thick by 0.8m in high. This latter is overlain by the dyke of the field to the N, and nothing can now be seen of the traces of an outer ditch previously noted outside it (RCAHMS 1912, 56-7, No. 146). On the NNE the defences stop short of the E margin of the promontory and a causeway 3.5m wide has been left across the ditch to provide access to the interior, though the rampart itself projects beyond the ditch terminal to leave a gap only 1.3m wide.
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 18 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC0198
Note (6 December 2021)
The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed and changed from PROMONTORY FORT (PERIOD UNASSIGNED).
