Mull Of Galloway

This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project.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.

Linear earthworks traverse the Mull of Galloway peninsula on either side of the narrow and low isthmus between East and West Tarbet The southern line is the longer and bigger of the two, extending over a distance of 400m from NX 145308 to 141306. For the most part it consists of three ditches with two intermediate banks, the inner and more substantial of the two banks being up to 4m broad and 2.2m high. Part of the bank is surmounted by a later turf dyke which blocks four original entrances and makes a right-angled return on top of the western cliffs.

On the opposite side of the isthmus, 330m north of its partner and immediately south of the enclosed fields, there are traces of a second earthwork reduced to a height of only 0.5m. It runs from NX 141310 to 142310 along the crest of a natural ridge and partly beneath a modem dyke; at one point there are traces of a stone revetrnent.

Interpretation of the purpose of these remains gives scope for endless speculation. The isthmus provided boat-sheltering facilities, and a portage for those who wished to avoid the strong tidal races around the point. The Mull itself is a natural citadel, but surviving evidence of man-made activities is confmed to a cairn beneath the flagstaff at NX 156304, a cup-marked rock at NX 154304, and the lighthouse (1830 AD), none of which can be equated with these defences.

Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Dumfries and Galloway’, (1986).

NX 1425 3075 (centre) An archaeological survey, geophysical survey and evaluative excavations were undertaken on two linear earthworks at the Mull of Galloway (NMRS NX 13 SW 16 and 17) to assess the extent of erosion to the site (largely by cattle).

A detailed measured survey of the earthworks was undertaken, and a vegetation survey was also carried out by the Natural Resource Consultancy. Sample geophysical survey was undertaken across the earthworks in an attempt to identify internal structural components.

Excavation was undertaken on eroded areas of both monuments and immediately adjacent areas for purposes of comparison. Four trenches were excavated: two across the inner earthwork (Trenches 1 and 2) and two across the outer (Trenches 3 and 4). The evidence of Trenches 1 and 2 demonstrated the presence of a complex monument, with the following components running from inside to out: a cobble spread; a large inner ditch; an inner rampart; a medial bank and ditch; and an outer bank and ditch. The rampart and inner ditch demonstrated at least two phases to their construction. Palisade trenches were associated with the primary phase, and both secondary castings comprised turf and earth deposits. Relative phasing between the constructions of the multiple components of the inner rampart, medial bank and ditch and outer bank and ditch could not be detected other than that the secondary recasting of the inner rampart took place after the medial ditch had been infilled.

The outer earthwork comprised a simple dump rampart along its inner length, and a stone core and dump rampart along its outer face. The excavations demonstrated that the outer rampart is considerably larger than previously thought, surviving generally c 2m high (and up to 4m where best preserved). This evidence shows that the rampart does not capitalise on a natural ridge but that the whole of this feature is artificial. How far this rampart continues to the S remains to be determined.

A report has been lodged with the NMRS (MS/1081/3)

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

R Strachan 2000.

What may be the largest Iron Age enclosure in Scotland is situated on the Mull of Galloway, a large promontory some 1.7km long which forms the southernmost tip of the Rhinns of Galloway. Girt with steep slopes and cliffs, the crest of the promontory rises gently eastwards from a narrow isthmus about 20m above the shore into a low ridge at about 50m OD, descending into a shallow saddle before climbing more steeply to the broad summit of the Mull itself, where a Bronze Age cairn stands at a height of about 75m OD. Two lines of boundary works can be seen at the isthmus, each of rather different character. The first lies on the NW side of the isthmus and comprises a substantial bank some 130m long and up to 4m high, which picks up the line of the coastal escarpment flanking the landward side to block access at its narrowest point. The other adopts a position on the rising ground about 320m to the SE, with its NE end resting on the coastal escarpment overlooking the S side of the bay on the east side of the isthmus (East Tarbet), and its SW end on the cliffs forming the Mull side of a precipitous gully that cuts back into the promontory from the sea. Comprising three ditches with medial banks, it measures about 410m in length and its topographic position is clearly designed to cut off an area of at least 54ha extending eastwards to the Mull. Survey of the earthworks in 1984, suggested that there were at least three phases of construction, the most recent of which is a post-medieval turf dyke that caps the inner bank for most of its length and blocks at least two of what may have been three original gaps, dismounting at the SW end to descend to the cliff-edge at a sharp angle; it is unclear whether the line taken by the road exploits an additional entrance. Evaluation trenches cut in 2000 confirmed that the inner of the banks, which measures between 3m and 4m in thickness and stands to a maximum external height of 2.2m, was built in two phases, and also showed that in its primary phase it was associated with a palisade (Strachan 2000); what appear to be packing stones set upright in the crest of the bank were observed in one eroded sector in 2013.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 13 December 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC0201

NX 0052 7325 to NZ 9725 6795 The Rhins Revealed project forms part of the Rhins of Galloway Coastal Path initiative and aims to provide outreach related to the coastal archaeology of the Rhins area, as well as training for community volunteers and baseline surveys that can assist with future condition monitoring of sites along the coastal path route. As part of this project, several surveys were carried out between 2019 and 2021 including topographic surveys and drone photography and photogrammetry at Dunman (Canmore ID: 60438), Caspin (Canmore ID: 60923) and Kirklauchline (Canmore ID: 60642) forts; hut circles at Cairnmon Fell (Canmore ID: 60485) and at Castle Ban motte (Canmore ID: 65434). A resistivity survey was carried out over the upper surface of Castle Ban; the results suggest the presence of stone structures not visible at ground level.

NX 1417 3101, NX 1438 3074 A gradiometry survey was carried

out at the Mull of Galloway between the western (Canmore ID: 61050) and eastern (Canmore ID: 61051) earthworks, S of the road, using a Sensys MXPDA cart-mounted gradiometry system. The results suggest the presence of circular structures in the northern end of the dataset, and a possible enclosure positioned on a low knoll near the access to East Tarbet. The data is relatively noisy however, and the results have not been confirmed by excavation.

NX 06702 44683 At Doon Castle (Canmore ID: 60487), a promontory fort containing a broch-like stone roundhouse, topographic survey and 3D laser scanning were carried out in advance of conservation works planned for a later stage of the project.

NX 0324 6902 A high-resolution 3D model was produced of the Kilmorie Stone, Kirkcolm (Canmore ID: 60731) using photogrammetry, and the results presented online.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Rhins of Galloway Coastal Path Project, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, Coastal Communities Fund

Graeme Cavers, Jamie Humble and Marta Pilarska – AOC Archaeology Group

(Source: DES Vol 22)

The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed and changed from EARTHWORK (MEDIEVAL).