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Kidlaw is a fort of Iron Age date located in East Lothian, Scotland. The monument is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The site occupies ground underlain by the Shinnel and Glenlee Formations, sedimentary wackes of Ashgill age that form the local bedrock. These ancient rocks provide the geological foundation of the Merse landscape in which the fort was constructed.
The fort represents a significant form of settlement and defence during the Iron Age, a period when fortified enclosures served as centres of control, habitation and resource management across lowland Scotland. Forts of this type commonly exploited natural topography to strengthen their defences, and their siting often relates to the agricultural potential and water access of surrounding land.
As a scheduled monument, Kidlaw is recognised as a structure of national importance to the understanding of Iron Age settlement patterns and society in south-eastern Scotland. The protection of the site preserves its archaeological integrity for future research and study, ensuring that the physical remains of this Iron Age fort remain available to inform understanding of this formative period in Scottish prehistory.
Kidlaw, fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM753. View the official record →
Kidlaw is a fort of Iron Age date located in East Lothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM753.
Kidlaw, 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.
Kidlaw, 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 SM753.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dodcleugh,fort and settlement 650m S of (7.9 km), Hillhouse, fort 250m NNW of (8.8 km), Dere Street, Roman road, Soutra Aisle to Turf Law (8.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kidlaw, 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.
Kidlaw, fort stands on Shinnel Formation And Glenlee Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is wacke.