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Castle Hill, Kirkton of Durris is a medieval motte situated in Kincardineshire, Scotland. The monument occupies high ground composed of Argyll Group bedrock, ancient metamorphic stone laid down in the Neoproterozoic era and comprising psammite, semipelite and pelite. This substantial earthwork represents a form of fortification common to medieval Britain, where an artificial or enhanced mound provided the foundation for timber or stone structures of defensive or manorial significance.
The motte's position within the Kirkton of Durris landscape reflects the typical medieval preference for elevated sites that commanded views across surrounding territory. The underlying geology of metamorphic rock would have offered a stable base for construction, though the builders would have relied equally upon earthwork engineering to raise the characteristic steep-sided mound.
Castle Hill is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4713, recognising its importance as evidence of medieval settlement and lordship in the northeast of Scotland. Such mottes, often raised in the 12th and 13th centuries, served as centres of local authority and defence during a formative period of Scotland's feudal development.
Castle Hill,motte,Kirkton of Durris is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4713. View the official record →
Castle Hill, Kirkton of Durris is a medieval motte situated in Kincardineshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4713.
Castle Hill,motte,Kirkton of Durris dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte,kirkton of durris. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Castle Hill,motte,Kirkton of Durris 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 SM4713.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairnfauld, stone circle 120m NNE of (3.8 km), Cairn-mon-earn,cairn (4.9 km), Cairnshee Wood,cairn 750m SSW of Cairnshee (5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Castle Hill,motte,Kirkton of Durris'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.
Castle Hill,motte,Kirkton of Durris stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.