Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Doon of May,fort
Iron Age · Fort

Doon of May,fort

Scotland
HES SM1972
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Fort
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Doon of May is a Iron Age fort situated in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. The site comprises a univallate or multivallate hillfort with defensive earthworks characteristic of the Iron Age period, occupying a strategically prominent location within the local landscape. Archaeological evidence and morphological analysis indicate occupation during the later prehistoric period, though the precise chronology of construction and use remains dependent on field survey and potential excavation data. The fort represents a significant example of Iron Age settlement and defensive architecture in the south-western region of Scotland, contributing to understanding of Iron Age territorial control and settlement patterns in this area.

Doon of May,fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1972. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Doon of May,fort?

Doon of May is a Iron Age fort situated in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1972.

What period does Doon of May,fort date from?

Doon of May,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.

Who is responsible for protecting Doon of May,fort?

Doon of May,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 SM1972.

What other scheduled monuments are near Doon of May,fort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Culshabbin,cairn (0.9 km), Barhobble, Early Christian site (remains of), 180m SSW of Elrig House (2.6 km), Cairn Buy,cairn 720m NW of Garheugh (2.7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Doon of May,fort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Doon of May,fort'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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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Culshabbin,cairn
Cairn0.9 km
Barhobble, Early Christian site (remains of), 180m SSW of Elrig House
Post-Medieval · Early christian site (remains of), 180m ssw of elrig house2.6 km
Cairn Buy,cairn 720m NW of Garheugh
Cairn 720m nw of garheugh2.7 km
Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of
Cairn3 km
Chapel Finian, chapel, enclosure and well
Medieval · Chapel, enclosure and well3.1 km
Craignarget, cairn 800m ENE of
Cairn3.1 km
Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of
Iron Age–Medieval · Crannog3.3 km
Two forts S.E. and S.S.E. of Chippermore
3.4 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Doon of May,fort

Doon of May,fort stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.

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