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Law Mount is a medieval motte and bailey castle situated 250 metres south-west of High Castleton in Ayrshire, Scotland. The monument consists of the characteristic two-part earthwork fortification typical of Anglo-Norman defensive architecture, with a raised mound crowned by a timber or stone tower, accompanied by an adjoining defended bailey or courtyard. Such castles proliferated across Scotland from the 12th century onwards, serving as administrative and defensive centres for local lords.
The site rests upon bedrock of the Clackmannan Group, sedimentary rocks deposited during the Westphalian period of the Carboniferous era. This solid geological foundation would have provided stable ground for the substantial earthworks and the timber palisading that originally enclosed both mound and bailey. The local stone and soil derived from these deposits would have been readily available for constructing the defensive banks and ditches.
Law Mount is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference number SM3381. The monument represents an important survival of medieval fortification in Ayrshire, preserving evidence of the feudal settlement patterns and military strategies that shaped the region's medieval landscape.
Law Mount,motte & bailey 250m SW of High Castleton is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3381. View the official record →
Law Mount is a medieval motte and bailey castle situated 250 metres south-west of High Castleton in Ayrshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3381.
Law Mount,motte & bailey 250m SW of High Castleton dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte & bailey 250m sw of high castleton. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Law Mount,motte & bailey 250m SW of High Castleton 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 SM3381.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Robertland Castle (3.9 km), Blacksyke, engine house (9.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Law Mount,motte & bailey 250m SW of High Castleton'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.
Law Mount,motte & bailey 250m SW of High Castleton stands on Clackmannan Group, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, clackmannan group type.