© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Latheronwheel House is a promontory fort located in Caithness, in the far north of Scotland, approximately 1100 metres south-east of the settlement it takes its name from. Dating to the Iron Age, this defensive settlement exploits the natural topography of a headland, a common defensive strategy in prehistoric Scotland where elevated coastal positions provided protection and control over surrounding territory.
The fort is constructed upon bedrock formed from Middle Old Red Sandstone of the Middle Devonian period, comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. These local geological materials would have been quarried or gathered for construction of the fort's defensive works. The promontory's natural cliff edges on its exposed sides would have required minimal additional fortification, allowing Iron Age builders to concentrate defences on the landward approach.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland reference SM5182, recognising its archaeological significance as evidence of Iron Age settlement and defensive strategy in the far north. Promontory forts such as this represent an important class of prehistoric fortified settlement, and their distribution across the Scottish coast reflects patterns of Iron Age settlement and social organisation in northern Britain.
Latheronwheel House,promontory fort 1100m SE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5182. View the official record →
Latheronwheel House is a promontory fort located in Caithness, in the far north of Scotland, approximately 1100 metres south-east of the settlement it takes its name from. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5182.
Latheronwheel House,promontory fort 1100m SE of dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a promontory fort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Latheronwheel House,promontory fort 1100m SE of 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 SM5182.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Knockinnon Castle, 400m ENE of Knockinnon (1.1 km), Knockinnon,broch (1.7 km), Inver,fort,post medieval house and look-out post 570m SE of (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Latheronwheel House,promontory fort 1100m SE of'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.
Latheronwheel House,promontory fort 1100m SE of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.