Scheduled MonumentsScotlandDun Mor,fort,Struanmore
Iron Age · Fort,struanmore

Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore

Scotland
HES SM918
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Fort,struanmore
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Dun Mor, Struanmore is an Iron Age fort situated in Inverness-shire, Scotland. The fort occupies a naturally elevated position built upon Palaeogene extrusive rocks, the volcanic bedrock comprising mafic lavas and tuffs formed during the Palaeogene period. This geological foundation would have provided the builder with exposed rock outcrops suitable for constructing defensive ramparts and creating a fortified settlement with commanding views across the surrounding landscape.

The fort belongs to the widespread tradition of Iron Age hillforts and duns that characterised settlement patterns across northern Scotland during the first millennium BC. Dun Mor's name derives from Gaelic, reflecting the Pictish and early Gaelic cultural context of the region. The fort's position on volcanic bedrock is characteristic of many Inverness-shire Iron Age settlements, which frequently exploited natural topography and geology to enhance their defensive capabilities.

The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM918, recognising its archaeological significance as an Iron Age settlement. The monument survives as a physical record of the fortified settlement patterns and land use strategies employed in the Scottish Highlands during the Iron Age, contributing to our understanding of prehistoric Highland society and settlement hierarchy.

Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM918. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore?

Dun Mor, Struanmore is an Iron Age fort situated in Inverness-shire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM918.

What period does Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore date from?

Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort,struanmore. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore?

Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore 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 SM918.

What other scheduled monuments are near Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dun Beag, broch and surrounding structures, Struan, Skye (0.4 km), Dun Beag, cairn 100m SSW of, Struan (0.5 km), Knock Ullinish, souterrain (0.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore'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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore

Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.