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Cnoc an Ratha is an Iron Age fort situated on high ground south-south-east of Shurrery Kirk in Caithness. The monument occupies a naturally defensive position where the underlying bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, dating to the Middle Devonian period, rises as conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. This geological foundation provided the inhabitants with a firm base for construction while the elevated terrain commanded extensive views of the surrounding landscape.
The fort represents a form of settlement characteristic of Iron Age northern Scotland, when defended enclosures served as territorial seats and refuge for local communities. Its placement relative to Shurrery Kirk reflects the enduring significance of this locality, which later acquired religious importance in the Christian period. The precise defensive structures of Cnoc an Ratha—whether constructed as a simple univallate fort or more complex multiple-ramparted stronghold—are products of local building tradition adapted to Caithness terrain.
The site remains a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland, preserving evidence of the early medieval and pre-Christian settlement patterns of this northern region. The Iron Age occupation of such prominent locations across Caithness demonstrates the sophisticated social organisation and territorial awareness of ancient communities in the far north of Scotland.
Cnoc an Ratha,fort SSE of Shurrery Kirk is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM542. View the official record →
Cnoc an Ratha is an Iron Age fort situated on high ground south-south-east of Shurrery Kirk in Caithness. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM542.
Cnoc an Ratha,fort SSE of Shurrery Kirk dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort sse of shurrery kirk. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cnoc an Ratha,fort SSE of Shurrery Kirk 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 SM542.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Sithean Buidhe, chambered cairn 1000m WSW of Brawlbin Mains (0.8 km), Sithean Mor,long cairn 160m NW of Loch a'Mhuilinn (0.9 km), Loch a'Mhuilinn,chambered cairn 300m NE of (1.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cnoc an Ratha,fort SSE of Shurrery Kirk'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.
Cnoc an Ratha,fort SSE of Shurrery Kirk stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.