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Creag a'Ghinbhais is a Iron Age fort situated 500 metres north-north-east of Balnacraig in Perthshire, Scotland. The monument occupies a defensible position on bedrock of the Southern Highland Group, metamorphic rocks of Middle Cambrian age comprising psammite and pelite formations that would have provided a naturally elevated and stable foundation. The fort's location in this upland landscape reflects the strategic settlement patterns of Iron Age communities in central Scotland, where such fortified sites commanded views across surrounding territory.
The fort is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland reference SM2714, recognising its archaeological significance. Iron Age forts of this type typically functioned as defended settlements or centres of regional authority, their ramparts and ditches serving both practical defensive purposes and as symbols of communal identity and territorial control.
The geology beneath Creag a'Ghinbhais, formed during the Cambrian period and subsequently metamorphosed, provided a foundation of considerable strength. The psammite and pelite bedrock would have influenced the fort's construction methods and structural integrity, whilst the naturally rocky terrain may have contributed to the site's defensive advantages during its occupation.
Creag a'Ghinbhais,fort 500m NNE of Balnacraig is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2714. View the official record →
Creag a'Ghinbhais is a Iron Age fort situated 500 metres north-north-east of Balnacraig in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2714.
Creag a'Ghinbhais,fort 500m NNE of Balnacraig dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort 500m nne of balnacraig. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Creag a'Ghinbhais,fort 500m NNE of Balnacraig 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 SM2714.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Creag a'Chaisteal,dun (0.4 km), Balnacraig,cairn 370m NNW of (0.4 km), Fortingall Church, two stone circles and one stone row, 300m ESE of (1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Creag a'Ghinbhais,fort 500m NNE of Balnacraig'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.
Creag a'Ghinbhais,fort 500m NNE of Balnacraig stands on Southern Highland Group, bedrock that formed in the Middle Cambrian. The rock here is psammite and pelite.