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Blaircessnock is a post-medieval palisaded enclosure located in Perthshire, Scotland, situated approximately 950 metres east of the settlement from which it takes its name. The monument occupies ground underlain by the Strathmore Group, a geological formation of Emsian age comprising sandstone interbedded with conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone. This varied bedrock, typical of the Tay valley lowlands, would have offered both drainage and stability for construction.
The enclosure consists of a palisade arrangement, a defensive or demarcating structure formed by wooden stakes driven into the ground. Such palisaded enclosures became common in Scotland during the post-medieval period, serving as temporary or seasonal fortifications, stock enclosures, or markers of occupation and status. The palisade form suggests rapid construction rather than the stone walls characteristic of earlier medieval strongholds.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland's reference SM6538, recognising its significance to understanding post-medieval settlement and land use patterns in Perthshire. Its survival in the archaeological record contributes to knowledge of how communities organised and secured space across the central Lowlands during this transformative period in Scottish history.
Blaircessnock, palisaded enclosure 950m E of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6538. View the official record →
Blaircessnock is a post-medieval palisaded enclosure located in Perthshire, Scotland, situated approximately 950 metres east of the settlement from which it takes its name. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6538.
Blaircessnock, palisaded enclosure 950m E of dates from the post-medieval period, and is classified as a palisaded enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Blaircessnock, palisaded enclosure 950m E 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 SM6538.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ballangrew,moated homestead 750m ENE of (0.3 km), Keir Knowe of Drum,motte (4.1 km), Keir Knowe of Arnmore,earthwork (4.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Blaircessnock, palisaded enclosure 950m E 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.
Blaircessnock, palisaded enclosure 950m E of stands on Strathmore Group, bedrock that formed in the Emsian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.