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Harehope Rings is a Iron Age fort occupying Harehope Hill in Peeblesshire, Scottish Borders. The monument comprises concentric defensive rings characteristic of hillforts constructed during the Iron Age, when such fortified settlements served as centres of power and refuge across northern Britain. The site commands views across the surrounding landscape, a strategic consideration typical of forts positioned on elevated ground.
The fort is situated on bedrock of the Portpatrick and Glenwhargen Formations, Ordovician wackes that form the underlying geology of this part of Peeblesshire. These ancient sedimentary rocks would have presented both challenges and advantages to the fort's builders, offering a naturally solid foundation whilst requiring significant labour to construct defences into the harder stone.
Harehope Rings is protected as a Scheduled Monument under Historic Environment Scotland reference SM2677, recognising its importance as an archaeological asset. The fort remains a substantial earthwork testimony to Iron Age settlement patterns in the Scottish Borders, preserving evidence of the defensive strategies and land use of communities in this region during the pre-Roman Iron Age period.
Harehope Rings,fort,Harehope Hill is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2677. View the official record →
Harehope Rings is a Iron Age fort occupying Harehope Hill in Peeblesshire, Scottish Borders. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2677.
Harehope Rings,fort,Harehope Hill dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort,harehope hill. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Harehope Rings,fort,Harehope Hill 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 SM2677.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hog's Knowe,settlement 400m WNW of Glenternie House (7.9 km), Cademuir Hill,fort 1800m WSW of (8 km), Cademuir, earthwork 360m SE of (8.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Harehope Rings,fort,Harehope Hill'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.
Harehope Rings,fort,Harehope Hill stands on Portpatrick Formation And Glenwhargen Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is wacke.