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Fortingall pit-defined enclosure is a post-medieval defensive or ceremonial earthwork situated 110 metres south of Carn na Marbh in Perthshire, Scotland. The monument consists of a rampart defined by a series of substantial pits or ditches, a construction method that distinguished it from earlier stone-built fortifications. Such pit-defined enclosures are characteristic of the post-medieval period in Scotland, typically serving as strongholds or important gathering places for local communities and landowners.
The site lies on bedrock formed from the Southern Highland Group, composed of psammite and pelite deposits laid down during the Middle Cambrian period. This ancient geology, combined with the monument's position within the Highland landscape near Carn na Marbh, reflects a location of strategic importance within the local terrain. The surrounding topography would have offered both defensive advantages and visibility across the valley.
The enclosure is now protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the statutory monument reference SM8644, recognising its significance as a record of post-medieval settlement patterns and land organisation in Perthshire. The pit-defined construction technique provides evidence of building methods and defensive strategies employed during this period in the Scottish Highlands, contributing to our understanding of rural fortification practices beyond the castle-building of elite nobility.
Fortingall, pit-defined enclosure 110m S of Carn na Marbh is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM8644. View the official record →
Fortingall pit-defined enclosure is a post-medieval defensive or ceremonial earthwork situated 110 metres south of Carn na Marbh in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM8644.
Fortingall, pit-defined enclosure 110m S of Carn na Marbh dates from the post-medieval period, and is classified as a pit-defined enclosure 110m s of carn na marbh. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Fortingall, pit-defined enclosure 110m S of Carn na Marbh 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 SM8644.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Fortingall, rectilinear enclosure SW of (0.2 km), Fortingall Church, two stone circles and one stone row, 300m ESE of (0.5 km), Praetorium,homestead moat (0.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Fortingall, pit-defined enclosure 110m S of Carn na Marbh'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.
Fortingall, pit-defined enclosure 110m S of Carn na Marbh stands on Southern Highland Group, bedrock that formed in the Middle Cambrian. The rock here is psammite and pelite.