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Dun Scriben is a Iron Age fort located in Inverness-shire, Scotland. The fort occupies a defensible position built upon bedrock of Lower Old Red Sandstone, a conglomerate of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone formation dating to the Early Devonian period. This geological foundation would have provided a stable base for the construction of defensive ramparts typical of Iron Age fortifications in the Scottish Highlands.
The fort is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6220, reflecting its significance as a key example of Iron Age settlement in the region. Such hillforts served as centres of power and refuge for local communities during the Iron Age, their elevated positions offering strategic advantage for surveillance and defence of the surrounding landscape.
The specific geological composition of the site—with its mix of harder conglomerate and softer sedimentary layers—would have influenced both the construction methods employed and the fort's long-term stability. The monument remains an important archaeological resource for understanding Iron Age settlement patterns and fortification strategies in the northern Scottish Highlands.
Dun Scriben,fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6220. View the official record →
Dun Scriben is a Iron Age fort located in Inverness-shire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6220.
Dun Scriben,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 Scriben,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 SM6220.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including 'Crusader', remains of jet-powered boat, 520m SE of Achnahannet settlement (3.3 km), Dun Deardail, forts 410m and 520m ENE of Fasnagruig (3.6 km), Craig Mony,fort (6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun Scriben,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 Scriben,fort stands on Lower Old Red Sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.