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Gillies Hill is an Iron Age fort situated in Stirlingshire, Scotland. The fortification commands views across the surrounding landscape from its position on bedrock formed by Permian-age igneous intrusion, comprising dolerite and tholeiitic basalt. This volcanic geology provides the natural foundation upon which the defensive earthworks were constructed. The fort is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2566.
Iron Age forts of this type, built between roughly 800 BC and AD 100, typically comprised one or more ramparts with external ditches, creating formidable barriers against attack. Such fortifications served as territorial markers, places of refuge, and centres of power for local communities during a period of increasing social complexity in Scotland. The solid volcanic bedrock underlying Gillies Hill would have provided excellent drainage and structural stability for its defences.
The monument remains an important archaeological record of Iron Age settlement patterns and defensive strategies in central Scotland. Its position on durable igneous bedrock reflects the practical landscape knowledge of its builders, who exploited natural geology to enhance their fortification's effectiveness and longevity.
Gillies Hill,fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2566. View the official record →
Gillies Hill is an Iron Age fort situated in Stirlingshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2566.
Gillies Hill,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.
Gillies Hill,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 SM2566.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wester Craigend, dun 300m W of (1.2 km), Sauchie Craig,fort,North Third Reservoir (2.5 km), King's Yett,cairn 300m W of (4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Gillies Hill,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.
Gillies Hill,fort stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Carboniferous To Permian, bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is dolerite and tholeiitic basalt.