© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Laws Hill broch and fort is a substantial Iron Age defensive structure situated in Angus, Scotland. The monument comprises two distinct phases of fortification: an inner broch, a characteristically Scottish circular stone tower with hollow-walled construction, and outer defensive earthworks forming a fort. The site occupies bedrock of mafic lava and tuff dating from the Devonian period, which provided the stone for its construction and would have presented a naturally defensible location on the landscape.
The broch represents the pinnacle of Iron Age architectural sophistication in Scotland, typically designed to provide both storage and refuge for a local community. The outer fort's ramparts would have extended the defensive perimeter substantially, protecting a wider area and suggesting this was an important settlement of regional significance. The combination of broch and fort at Laws Hill indicates evolution of the site's fortifications over time as settlement needs and security requirements changed.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the scheduling reference SM2394, recognising its importance to understanding Iron Age settlement patterns and defensive strategies in eastern Scotland. The geological foundation of Devonian volcanic rock beneath Laws Hill is characteristic of much of the Angus landscape, yet the density and quality of fortification here attests to the site's particular strategic or social importance within its Iron Age community.
Laws Hill,broch & fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2394. View the official record →
Laws Hill broch and fort is a substantial Iron Age defensive structure situated in Angus, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2394.
Laws Hill,broch & fort dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch & fort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Laws Hill,broch & 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 SM2394.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Fetterdale, unenclosed settlement 300m NW of (9.3 km), Lawhouses, enclosures 650m SE of (9.3 km), Morton, timber hall and enclosure 240m SSE of (9.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Laws Hill,broch & fort'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.
Laws Hill,broch & fort stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.