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Hodge Cairn is an Iron Age fort located in Shank Wood, Midlothian. The monument occupies ground underlain by wacke of the Gala Group, sedimentary rock formed during the Telychian period that characterises much of the Southern Uplands geology in this region. The fort's construction would have taken advantage of the natural topography created by this ancient bedrock.
The site is situated within woodland that now masks its form, though the fort's defensive characteristics would have been more visually prominent when originally constructed. Iron Age forts of this type in Midlothian typically employed timber and stone ramparts to enclose a settlement area, often positioned to command views across surrounding terrain. The Shank Wood location provided both natural defensive advantages and access to woodland resources essential for Iron Age communities.
Hodge Cairn is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM1171, recognising its archaeological significance as evidence of Iron Age settlement and fortification in the Central Belt. The monument contributes to understanding patterns of Iron Age occupation across Midlothian, where such forts represent important focal points for communities during the final centuries before the Roman period.
Hodge Cairn,fort,Shank Wood is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1171. View the official record →
Hodge Cairn is an Iron Age fort located in Shank Wood, Midlothian. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1171.
Hodge Cairn,fort,Shank Wood dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort,shank wood. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Hodge Cairn,fort,Shank Wood 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 SM1171.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cortleferry, scooped settlement 400m NW of (1.6 km), Halltree Rings, settlement, Chapel Hill (1.9 km), Corsehope Rings,fort (2.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Hodge Cairn,fort,Shank Wood'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.
Hodge Cairn,fort,Shank Wood stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.