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Castle Knowe is an Iron Age fort occupying a commanding position in Peeblesshire, Scotland. The site rests upon bedrock of the Gala Group, a wacke formation laid down during the Telychian period, which provides a naturally defensive foundation. The fort's elevated setting offers extensive views across the surrounding landscape, a characteristic feature of Iron Age fort locations chosen for both strategic advantage and visibility across territories.
The monument is defined by its defensive earthworks, typical of Iron Age forts of the southern Scottish Borders, which were constructed between approximately the 8th and 1st centuries BC. These settlements served as centres of habitation, craft production and storage for established communities during the pre-Roman Iron Age. The wacke geology beneath Castle Knowe reflects the complex geological history of the region, with these ancient sedimentary rocks having been folded and altered over vast periods.
Castle Knowe is protected as a scheduled monument under reference SM2954 by Historic Environment Scotland. This designation recognises its significance as a physical record of Iron Age settlement patterns and society in the Tweed Valley. The fort's survival as an upstanding earthwork provides important archaeological evidence for understanding the structure and organisation of communities in this period.
Castle Knowe, fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2954. View the official record →
Castle Knowe is an Iron Age fort occupying a commanding position in Peeblesshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2954.
Castle Knowe, fort dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Castle Knowe, fort 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 SM2954.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Grieston Hill,fort (2.1 km), Caerlee Hill, fort (2.3 km), Chester Hill,fort (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Castle Knowe, fort'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 Knowe, fort stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.