© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Balcastle Farm Motte is a medieval motte located in Stirlingshire, Scotland, approximately 250 metres south-south-west of Balcastle Farm itself. The monument sits upon bedrock of the Clackmannan Group, sedimentary rocks formed during the Westphalian period. This geological foundation would have provided a relatively stable base for the earthwork's construction, though the underlying strata of sandstone and mudstone typical of this period would have required careful drainage management during and after building.
The motte itself represents a characteristic form of medieval lordly residence and defensive structure, common across lowland Scotland from the Norman period onwards. Such monuments typically comprised a large earth mound topped by a wooden palisade and associated buildings, often accompanied by a bailey or outer enclosure. The prominent artificial elevation would have served both practical defensive purposes and as a visible expression of authority within the local landscape.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland and registered under reference SM2584, reflecting its significance as evidence of medieval settlement and social organisation in Stirlingshire. The motte's survival as an earthwork monument provides valuable archaeological record of the period's territorial arrangements and the pattern of military and administrative control across central Scotland.
Balcastle Farm, motte 250m SSW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2584. View the official record →
Balcastle Farm Motte is a medieval motte located in Stirlingshire, Scotland, approximately 250 metres south-south-west of Balcastle Farm itself. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2584.
Balcastle Farm, motte 250m SSW of dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Balcastle Farm, motte 250m SSW of is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM2584.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Antonine Wall, Twechar Main Street to Bar Hill (2.3 km), Bar Hill, Roman temporary camp SW of (2.5 km), Antonine Wall, N of Alexander Avenue, Twechar (2.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Balcastle Farm, motte 250m SSW of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Balcastle Farm, motte 250m SSW of stands on Clackmannan Group, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, clackmannan group type.