Scheduled MonumentsScotlandKirkclaugh Mote,motte
Medieval · Motte

Kirkclaugh Mote,motte

Scotland
HES SM1121
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Kirkclaugh Mote is a medieval motte located in Kirkcudbrightshire, south-western Scotland. The monument consists of an earthen mound characteristic of motte-and-bailey fortifications, a standard form of Norman and post-Norman defensive settlement that proliferated across Britain from the eleventh century onwards. Such mottes served as the residential and administrative centres of feudal lords, with their elevated position providing both defensive advantage and visual assertion of authority over the surrounding landscape. The site's survival as an earthwork demonstrates the enduring physical legacy of medieval lordship in the region, though the specific chronology and historical associations of Kirkclaugh Mote remain subjects of archaeological study.

Kirkclaugh Mote,motte is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1121. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Kirkclaugh Mote,motte?

Kirkclaugh Mote is a medieval motte located in Kirkcudbrightshire, south-western Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1121.

What period does Kirkclaugh Mote,motte date from?

Kirkclaugh Mote,motte dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across Britain.

Who is responsible for protecting Kirkclaugh Mote,motte?

Kirkclaugh Mote,motte 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 SM1121.

What other scheduled monuments are near Kirkclaugh Mote,motte?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kirkclaugh, cross-slab 20m E of (0.4 km), High Auchenlarie,stone circle & cup & ring marked rock 380m N of (1.4 km), Standing Stones of Newton, burial chamber (1.7 km).

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