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Mull Of Galloway
Fort (Iron Age)
Site Name Mull Of Galloway
Classification Fort (Iron Age)
Canmore ID 61050
Site Number NX13SW 16
NGR NX 14210 31024
NGR Description Centre
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/61050
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Kirkmaiden
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Wigtown
- Former County Wigtownshire
NX13SW 16 1417 3101 to 1426 3104.
(Centred: NX 1422 3103) Earthwork (NR)
OS 6" map (1957)
This earthwork consists of a single rampart (or wall) without any apparent ditch. E of the road, where it is best preserved, it takes the form of a natural ridge which has been steeply scarped on the N side and capped with a mound or wall. The maximum height of the scarp is 11'6". In a sheep-rub near the top of the outer face, there is a single line of boulders, each c. 1' long, lying horizontally and embedded in rock rubble, which may be the remains of a wall. Otherwise, the work is turf- covered and shows no signs of facings.
W of the road, the rampart underlies a dyke and is at most 3' high. The outer face is well-defined on the N side of the dyke but the inner one is vague due to later disturbance. The two low parallel mounds some 9' distant, passing down the slope towards the shore, seem to be connected with the earthwork, but are probably nothing more than upcast mounds from a drainage ditch coming from the lowest part of a cultivated field. The earthwork should have finished a short distance E of this drain, on the actual neck of the isthmus, but of this there is now no sign.
It is very doubtful whether this earthwork is defensive or of any great antiquity. It is easily out-flanked and of modest size, though it has been made slightly more formidable E of the road by basing it on a natural ridge (see also NX13SW 17).
RCAHMS TS 29 June 1955
As described. A probable 18th - 19th century field wall. Not an antiquity.
Revised at 25".
Visited by OS (RD) 9 February 1972
The remains of this boundary work cut across the neck of the Mull of Galloway immediately S of the enclosed fields of Mull farm. To the W of the road it has been reduced to little more than a low swelling beneath the field-dyke, and measures a maximum of 2.8m in thickness by 0.5m in height. To the E of the road it runs along the crest of a prominent natural ridge. At one point a number of large boulders which appear to be the remains of a face, have been exposed; here the bank is 2.3m thick and 0.5m high. The N face of the ridge presents a steep scarp up to 3.5m high which may have been deliberately constructed. The date of the work is unknown.
RCAHMS 1985, visited (SH) July 1984; NMRS SAS 456, 457
Field Visit (29 June 1955)
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.
Excavation (2000)
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.
Geophysical Survey (1 October 2020 - 31 July 2021)
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)
Note (10 March 2022)
The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed and changed from FIELD BOUNDARY (PERIOD UNASSIGNED).
