Scheduled Monument

Kittock's Den, fortSM10437

Status: Designated

Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

Summary

Date Added
20/06/2002
Type
Prehistoric domestic and defensive: fort (includes hill fort and promontory fort)
Local Authority
Fife
Parish
St Andrews And St Leonards
NGR
NO 55322 15035
Coordinates
355322, 715035

Description

The monument comprises a promontory fort overlooking St Andrews Bay, visible as upstanding remains. The fort is located between a deep coastal ravine known as Kittock's Den to the E and a 30m-high sea cliff to the NW. The fort defences have been incorporated into landscaping for the 18th green of Devlin golf course at St Andrews Bay Resort.

Monuments of this type normally date to the Iron Age (about 2000 years ago) or later. The field containing the fort used to be known as Castle Acre, which might indicate that the fort was in use as late as the medieval period.

Prior to development of the golf course (1998-2001), the fort defences consisted of a single massive rampart and external ditch, which cut off the landward (SW) side of the promontory. The rampart enclosed an area measuring c.87m NE-SW by 80m NW-SE, which sloped gently towards the NW and contained no surface traces of structures.

The rampart was c.30m wide, stood up to 1.5m high and ran over a length of 70m. The ditch survived as a shallow linear depression, c.25m wide. There may have been an entrance through the defences at the eastern end, where they terminate c.7m short of the ravine (a second gap at the western end of the defences is probably secondary).

During construction of the golf course, the enclosed area (NE of the rampart) was overlain with a 0.3m depth of topsoil, obscuring any remains. Three bunkers were constructed in the vicinity of the ditch. A concentration of stones, described as possibly the remains of dry-stone masonry associated with the ditch, was encountered during construction of the SE bunker, after which no further soil was removed.

The area to be scheduled is irregular in plan, with maximum dimensions of 134m NE-SW by 105m transversely, to include the remains of the outer ditch, the rampart and the area enclosed by the rampart, extending to the edges of the ground above the sea cliffs and Kittock's Den, as marked in red on the accompanying map. The top 0.3m of all grassed areas, tracks and bunkers associated with the golf course are excluded from the scheduling to allow for routine maintenance.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it has the potential to enhance our understanding of prehistoric and later defensive settlement in general, and of the construction and use of promontory forts in particular. It also has the potential to contribute to an understanding of contemporary society and economy.

References

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NO 51 NE 1.

Reference:

Cook, M. (1998) An archaeological desk-based assessment and evaluation of a proposed golf course at Kingask Farm, St. Andrews, Fife: Data Structure Report.

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

Images

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Printed: 29/03/2024 09:40