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Dun Knock is a hillfort of Iron Age date situated in Perthshire, Scotland. The fort occupies a defensible position on bedrock belonging to the Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, Pragian sandstone interspersed with conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone. This geological foundation provided both a naturally elevated platform and ready stone for construction. The site's placement reflects the strategic positioning typical of Iron Age forts in eastern Scotland, which commonly exploited local topography to command surrounding territory.
The fort's defensive works would have comprised stone or timber ramparts, characteristic of fortified settlements built during the pre-Roman Iron Age in this region. Such hillforts served as focal points for local communities, providing refuge, storage and administration. The specific geology of the Perthshire landscape—with its exposed sandstone bedrock—influenced both the feasibility and methods of construction at this site.
Dun Knock is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9434, recognising its archaeological importance and preservation value. The site forms part of the broader distribution of Iron Age fortified settlements across the Tay valley and Strathmore, contributing to understanding of late prehistoric settlement patterns and land use in eastern Scotland.
Dun Knock, fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9434. View the official record →
Dun Knock is a hillfort of Iron Age date situated in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9434.
Dun Knock, 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.
Dun Knock, 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 SM9434.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Millhaugh,enclosure and pit alignment 300m E of (1.2 km), Cairn and mortuary enclosure 120m WSW and 150m SW of Cranberry (1.4 km), Henge and palisaded enclosure, 220m WSW and 210m SW of Millhaugh Farmhouse (1.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun Knock, 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.
Dun Knock, fort stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.