Scheduled MonumentsScotlandKildoon,fort
Iron Age · Fort

Kildoon,fort

Scotland
HES SM2176
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Fort
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Kildoon Fort is an Iron Age fort located in Ayrshire, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The fort occupies elevated ground underlain by felsic igneous rock of Early Devonian age, which forms part of the complex geological foundation of this region. This hard volcanic bedrock would have presented significant constraints during construction, influencing both the fort's layout and defensive capabilities.

The fort's position on Ayrshire's igneous plateau offered natural advantages for Iron Age occupation. From this elevated position, inhabitants could command views across the surrounding landscape whilst the dense, durable felsic rock beneath provided a stable foundation for substantial timber and stone structures. The geology of the site reflects the dramatic volcanic activity that shaped this part of Scotland during the ancient past.

As an Iron Age fort in south-western Scotland, Kildoon represents the settlement patterns and defensive strategies of local communities during the pre-Roman Iron Age period. Its preservation under scheduled monument protection recognises the archaeological importance of Iron Age fortified sites and their role in understanding the social and political organisation of Iron Age Ayrshire.

Kildoon,fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2176. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Kildoon,fort?

Kildoon Fort is an Iron Age fort located in Ayrshire, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2176.

What period does Kildoon,fort date from?

Kildoon,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.

Who is responsible for protecting Kildoon,fort?

Kildoon,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 SM2176.

What other scheduled monuments are near Kildoon,fort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Maybole Collegiate Church (2.5 km), Crossraguel Abbey (2.5 km), Lyonston,standing stone 250m ESE of (3.2 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Kildoon,fort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kildoon,fort's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Kildoon,fort

Kildoon,fort stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.