© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Fort and earthworks at Shaw Craigs is a defended settlement occupying a commanding position in Roxburghshire on bedrock of Silurian to Devonian age. The site rises from ancient mafic lavas and tuffs that form the geological foundation of this moorland landscape. The fort's elevated location would have afforded clear sight lines across the surrounding terrain, a strategic advantage characteristic of fortified settlements in the Scottish Borders.
The earthworks comprise the substantial remains of ramparts and defensive ditches that once enclosed the settlement. These fortifications follow the natural contours of the crag, with the builders adapting their design to the underlying volcanic geology. The construction techniques and layout are typical of Iron Age hillforts that dot the eastern Scottish uplands, where such strongholds served as territorial markers and places of refuge for local communities.
The monument is recorded in the national records of Historic Environment Scotland and remains a significant archaeological site. Its preservation allows examination of settlement patterns and defensive strategies employed in prehistoric Scotland. The landscape setting, with its volcanic bedrock and moorland surroundings, provides important context for understanding how communities of this period selected and utilised their environment for security and sustenance.
Fort and earthworks, Shaw Craigs is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2152. View the official record →
Fort and earthworks at Shaw Craigs is a defended settlement occupying a commanding position in Roxburghshire on bedrock of Silurian to Devonian age. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2152.
Fort and earthworks, Shaw Craigs 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 SM2152.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Chapel Knowe, farmstead 100m WSW of (0.7 km), Wattie's Spindles, pele house and associated buildings (0.7 km), Steel Knowe, medieval and later settlements and field systems (2.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Fort and earthworks, Shaw Craigs'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.
Fort and earthworks, Shaw Craigs stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.