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High Drummore Mote is a medieval motte located in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. The monument sits upon bedrock of the Hawick Group, a formation of hard wacke dating to the Wenlock period of the Silurian, which provides a solid foundation for the earthwork. This geological base would have offered good drainage and stability for the construction and occupation of the motte during the medieval period.
The motte itself represents a characteristic form of fortified residence that developed across Britain and northern Europe from the 11th century onwards. Such monuments typically comprised an earthen or stone mound, often accompanied by an associated bailey, which served as strongholds for local lords and administrative centres. The siting of High Drummore Mote exploited the natural topography and geology of Wigtownshire to establish a position of territorial authority in this region of south-west Scotland.
The monument is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2019, reflecting its significance as a surviving example of medieval fortification. The preservation of High Drummore Mote contributes to our understanding of settlement patterns, lordship and defensive strategies in medieval Wigtownshire.
High Drummore Mote,motte is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2019. View the official record →
High Drummore Mote is a medieval motte located in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2019.
High Drummore Mote,motte dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
High Drummore Mote,motte 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 SM2019.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kirkmaiden Church,church & churchyard 500m N of Mull of Galloway Farm (3.6 km), Barncorkrie,farmstead 350m NNW of (3.7 km), Mull of Galloway Farm,fort 400m NE of (3.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of High Drummore Mote,motte'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.
High Drummore Mote,motte stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.