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Garrywhin is a fort and settlement located near Ulbster in Caithness, northern Scotland. The site occupies ground underlain by Middle Old Red Sandstone bedrock, formed during the Middle Devonian period from layers of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. This geology would have presented both challenges and resources to Iron Age occupants: the stone available for building, but also demanding labour to construct defensive and domestic structures. The fort represents a significant archaeological record of Iron Age settlement patterns in the far north of Britain, where fortified positions often commanded views across coastal or river valleys.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled ancient monument under reference SM548, reflecting its importance to understanding settlement hierarchy and defensive strategies in Iron Age northern Britain. Sites of this character typically served as strongholds for elite groups controlling local territory and resources. The combination of fort and settlement at Garrywhin suggests sustained occupation rather than a purely military installation, indicating its role as a focal point for the surrounding community during the prehistoric period.
Garrywhin, fort and settlement, Ulbster is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM548. View the official record →
Garrywhin is a fort and settlement located near Ulbster in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM548.
Garrywhin, fort and settlement, Ulbster dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort and settlement, ulbster. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Garrywhin, fort and settlement, Ulbster 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 SM548.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists (0.3 km), Broughwhin, cairn and stone row 190m NW of Groat's Loch (0.4 km), Cairn Hanach,chambered cairn S side of Warehouse Hill (0.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Garrywhin, fort and settlement, Ulbster'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.
Garrywhin, fort and settlement, Ulbster stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.