Statement of National Importance
The national importance of the monument is demonstrated in the following way(s) (see Designations Policy and Selection Guidance, Annex 1, para 17):
a. The monument is of national importance because it makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past, or has the potential to do so as a multi period fort dating to the Iron Age (800BC-400AD).
b. The monument retains structural, architectural, decorative or other physical attributes which make a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past. In particular the fort retains an interior enclosure with entrance, surrounded by an oval rampart and ditch, and a further linear rampart to the south.
d. The monument is a particularly good example of a multi period fort dating to the Iron Age (800BC-AD400) and is therefore an important representative of this monument type.
e. The monument has research potential which could significantly contribute to our understanding or appreciation of the past. The fort is likely to contain stratified archaeological deposits, artefacts, environmental remains and material suitable for radiocarbon dating.
f. The monument makes a significant contribution to today's landscape and our understanding of the prehistoric landscape. The fort remains a prominent feature in the landscape and its location can be compared with other broadly contemporary sites to better understand land use, local settlement patterns and their development over time.
Assessment of Cultural Significance
This statement of national importance has been informed by the following assessment of cultural significance:
Intrinsic characteristics (how the remains of a site or place contribute to our knowledge of the past)
The monument comprises a multi period fort dating to the Iron Age (800BC-400AD). The inner circular enclosure, surviving as a stoney bank, is probably the remains of a stone wall. It is likely that this was the earliest phase of the fort with the outer oval enclosure, composed of an earthen rampart and external ditch, being a later refortification of the site. In the post medieval period, stone from the fort, particularly the inner circular wall, was quarried impacting the eastern rampart and a corn drying kiln was inserted at the foot of the northern slope. This was noted when the fort was subject to an antiquarian excavation by Joseph Dundas in the 1860's. At this time, these secondary structures were misinterpreted as Iron Age features.
The fort is likely to contain stratified archaeological deposits from which samples can be gathered for environmental analysis helping us to better understand the diet of the occupants and the vegetation cover of the surrounding landscape at that time. Radiocarbon dating of material from the fort would provide us with a more detailed chronology for the site's development over time. Artefacts could also survive, with the potential to tell us about the social status and lifestyle of the inhabitants, such as clothing, metal working, the local economy, trade, contact and conflict. Detailed study of the surviving structure of the fort can tell us how the monument developed over time, in particular, its occupation and construction, use, reuse, repair and abandonment along with its relationship to its outer defences.
Contextual characteristics (how a site or place relates to its surroundings and/or to our existing knowledge of the past)
The fort is located at the apex of a low ridge known as Carr's Hill at approximately 98m above sea level. To the north and west the ground drops away sharply to a burn which skirts the foot of the knoll.
Forts are a widespread class of monument found across Scotland. Many show evidence of extended use, modification or abandonment and reoccupation which suggests their use or need within society may have changed overtime. A number of broadly contemporary sites are located in the surrounding landscape. The fort overlooks Tor Wood, Roman road (scheduled monument SM2217; 0.5km east) and would have been visible from the broch at Torwood (scheduled monument SM1738; 1km southeast). To the south is Doghillock dun (scheduled monument SM6929; 1km) and to the west-southwest is Braes fort (scheduled monument SM456 west-southwest; 2.5km). There would also have been a view across the Forth to Castle Law fort on Dumyat (scheduled monument SM2182; 12km north-northeast).
The monument remains a prominent feature in the present landscape and contributes to our understanding of prehistoric settlement patterns. Study of the monument in relation to other sites and monuments in the immediate area can help us to explain their interrelationship and the significance of their placing within the landscape, in particular in relation to our understanding of Iron Age society, land use, the potential impact of Roman invasion and the exploitation of natural landforms. The monument can also be compared to similar monuments across Scotland to gain an in-depth understanding of their distribution at a national level.
Associative characteristics (how a site or place relates to people, events, and/or historic and social movements)
We are unaware of any associative characteristics.