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Kittock's Den is a Iron Age souterrain situated in Fife, Scotland. These underground stone-built structures, known as earth houses, were constructed by Iron Age communities across northern Britain as storage facilities or refuge spaces. The souterrain at this location was excavated into bedrock comprising the Strathclyde Group sedimentary rocks, which were deposited during the Visean period. The geology provided suitable stone for construction whilst offering stable ground conditions for an underground chamber.
The souterrain consists of a stone-lined passage leading to a central chamber, a typical layout for such structures of the Iron Age period. The passage would have been partially or fully roofed using stone lintels or timber. The site's location in Fife places it within a region that contains several examples of Iron Age settlement activity, though the specific construction date and duration of use remain uncertain without excavation evidence.
Kittock's Den is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10423. This designation recognises its archaeological significance as a rare surviving example of Iron Age underground architecture. The monument contributes to our understanding of Iron Age settlement patterns and domestic practices in eastern Scotland, demonstrating how communities adapted their buildings to local geological conditions.
Kittock's Den, souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10423. View the official record →
Kittock's Den is a Iron Age souterrain situated in Fife, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10423.
Kittock's Den, souterrain dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a souterrain. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Kittock's Den, souterrain 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 SM10423.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kittock's Den, fort (0.1 km), Boarhills, pill boxes 1250m NW of (0.5 km), Peekie Bridge, bridge over Kenly Water 50m E of Peekie Mill (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kittock's Den, souterrain'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.
Kittock's Den, souterrain stands on Strathclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Visean. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, strathclyde group type.