Scheduled Monument
Suie Hill, fortSM1096
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
- 28/02/1928
- Last Date Amended
- 09/09/2026
- Type
- Prehistoric domestic and defensive: fort (includes hill fort and promontory fort)
- Local Authority
- Dumfries And Galloway
- Planning Authority
- Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish
- Rerrick
- NGR
- NX 76564 50818
- Coordinates
- 276564, 550818
Description
The monument comprises a fort, likely dating to the Iron Age (800 BC-AD 400). It survives as collapsed stone walls defining two enclosures: a sub-rectangular enclosure surrounding the summit of the hill, and a D-shaped annex to the west. Together they enclose an area measuring about 103m from north-northeast to south-southwest by about 66m. The monument occupies the summit of Suie Hill, at about 240m above sea level.
The main enclosure is defined by collapsed stone walls, spread up to about 10m, and enclosing an area of about 80m from north-northeast to south-southwest by about 26m. An entrance, about 3m wide, is visible at the northern end. The annex is defined by a wall surrounding a lower terrace on the western side of the main enclosure. It encloses an area of about 76m from north-northeast to south-southwest by about 20m. It is unclear whether there was an entrance between the main enclosure and the annex.
The scheduled area is irregular It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.
Statement of National Importance
The monument is of national importance as it makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past as a well-preserved fort of likely Iron Age date. It has the potential to add to our understanding of Iron Age society in southwestern Scotland and the function, use and development of forts and other defended sites. The monument survives as collapsed stone walls and there is significant potential for the survival of buried archaeological deposits within and around the site. It can significantly add to our understanding of domestic settlement, society, agriculture and economy during the Iron Age. It is part of a wider cluster of later prehistoric sites in Dumfries and Galloway, in particular hill forts such as Dungarry (NRHE ID: 64526, SM1070), Dunguile Hill (NRHE ID: 64482) and Castle Hill (NRHE ID: 64476, SM1054). When studied together, these can tell us about the character, development and use of forts, and the nature of Iron Age society, economy and social hierarchy in southwestern Scotland.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
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).
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