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Cowbakie Hill roundhouse is an Iron Age settlement site located near Comerton Place in Fife, Scotland. The structure stands on bedrock formed from the Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, a geological formation dating to the Pragian period, comprising primarily sandstone with bands of conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone. This underlying geology would have influenced both the settlement's location and the construction materials available to its inhabitants.
The roundhouse represents the characteristic domestic architecture of Iron Age communities in eastern Scotland, typically dating between the 8th and 1st centuries BC. Such structures served as the focal point of domestic and social life, with their circular plan providing practical advantages for heat distribution and structural stability. The location on Cowbakie Hill would have offered defensive prospects across the surrounding landscape and access to water sources and agricultural land typical of Iron Age settlement patterns.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduled monument reference SM7095, recognising its significance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and land use in Fife. The survival of roundhouse remains from this period, even in fragmentary form, contributes to understanding the distribution and character of Iron Age communities across the region and their adaptation to the local environment.
Cowbakie Hill, roundhouse 40m N of 28 Comerton Place is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7095. View the official record →
Cowbakie Hill roundhouse is an Iron Age settlement site located near Comerton Place in Fife, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7095.
Cowbakie Hill, roundhouse 40m N of 28 Comerton Place 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 SM7095.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Leuchars Castle, enclosures 700m N of (2.6 km), Leuchars Castle, unenclosed settlement 320m NNE of (3.2 km), Leuchars Castle, settlement 200m and 400m W of and 240m WNW of (3.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cowbakie Hill, roundhouse 40m N of 28 Comerton Place'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.
Cowbakie Hill, roundhouse 40m N of 28 Comerton Place stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.