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Isle of Moy is a fortified island located in Inverness-shire, Scotland, protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The site comprises two distinct phases of occupation: an Iron Age fortified settlement and a later laird's house, representing continuity of use across more than two millennia. The island sits upon bedrock of the Moine Supergroup, ancient metamorphic rocks formed during the Neoproterozoic era, consisting of gneissose psammite and semipelite that provided a naturally defensible foundation for settlement.
The Iron Age fortification exploited the island's isolated position to create a stronghold resistant to attack, utilising the surrounding water as a natural defence. The geological substrate, hard and weather-resistant, would have been suitable for constructing substantial stone defences characteristic of Iron Age island forts in the Highlands. Later occupation by a laird demonstrated the continuing strategic and territorial value of the location through the medieval and early modern periods.
The monument exemplifies the long history of settlement in Inverness-shire, where natural geography and durable geology combined to create locations of enduring importance. The transition from Iron Age fort to laird's residence reflects the evolution of Highland settlement patterns and the persistence of territorial authority within the region across successive centuries.
Isle of Moy, fortified island and laird's house is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11446. View the official record →
Isle of Moy is a fortified island located in Inverness-shire, Scotland, protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11446.
Isle of Moy, fortified island and laird's house dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fortified island and laird's house. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Isle of Moy, fortified island and laird's house 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 SM11446.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Eilean nan Clach, crannog (0.3 km), Ruthven, depopulated township 600m S of (4.3 km), Edinchat, cairn 415m NNW of (5.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Isle of Moy, fortified island and laird's house'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.
Isle of Moy, fortified island and laird's house stands on Moine Supergroup, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is gneissose psammite and gneissose semipelite.