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Kemp's Hold is a Iron Age fort situated in Perthshire, Scotland. The monument occupies a naturally defensive position, with its foundations resting upon Silurian to Devonian extrusive rocks—ancient mafic lavas and tuffs that formed during the Devonian period. This volcanic bedrock provides a firm base for the fort's ramparts and structures, whilst its irregular topography would have offered significant natural advantages for defence.
The fort belongs to the tradition of Iron Age hillforts that characterised settlement patterns across Scotland during the later prehistoric period. Its location in Perthshire places it within a landscape rich in such fortified settlements, reflecting the territorial organisation and social hierarchies of Iron Age communities in central Scotland. The volcanic geology beneath the site is characteristic of the ancient crustal rocks underlying much of this region.
Kemp's Hold is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6122, recognising its importance as a heritage asset. The fort represents a significant archaeological resource for understanding Iron Age settlement, defence strategies and land use in Perthshire, though its precise chronology and detailed structural sequence remain subjects for further investigation.
Kemp's Hold,fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6122. View the official record →
Kemp's Hold is a Iron Age fort situated in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6122.
Kemp's Hold,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.
Kemp's Hold,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 SM6122.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mains of Airleywight,cairn (4.3 km), Pitsundry, standing stone 250m W of (6.3 km), Loak, standing stone 470m SSE of (7.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kemp's Hold,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.
Kemp's Hold,fort stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.