Scheduled MonumentsScotlandCastle Hill,site of Lanark Castle
Medieval · Site of lanark castle

Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle

Scotland
HES SM2612
Period
Medieval
Site type
Site of lanark castle
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Castle Hill is a medieval site of Lanark Castle, located in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The castle occupied a naturally defensive position atop an outcrop of Early Devonian bedrock belonging to the Lanark Group, comprising interbedded sandstone and conglomerate that would have provided a commanding vantage point above the surrounding landscape. The geological formation's resistance to erosion made it an ideal foundation for fortification.

The site represents the location of a significant medieval stronghold whose strategic importance was determined partly by its geology and topography. The Devonian sandstones and conglomerates, exposed at the surface, offered both a defensible height and stable ground suitable for stone construction, characteristics that would have influenced the site's selection and the development of its fortifications over time.

Castle Hill is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2612, ensuring its preservation and restricting unauthorised disturbance. The site's archaeological significance lies in its medieval use and the relationship between its natural geological setting and human settlement patterns in medieval Lanarkshire.

Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2612. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle?

Castle Hill is a medieval site of Lanark Castle, located in Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2612.

What period does Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle date from?

Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a site of lanark castle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle?

Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle 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 SM2612.

What other scheduled monuments are near Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including New Lanark, Mill Number Four (0.8 km), St Kentigern's Church, Lanark (0.9 km), Castle Qua,fort 345m WSW of Mouse Bridge (1.7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle

Castle Hill,site of Lanark Castle stands on Lanark Group, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.