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Leanachan motte is a medieval fortification situated in Inverness-shire, some 250 metres south-west of the main settlement. The monument comprises a motte, the earthen mound that formed the defensive core of early medieval fortified settlements across Britain and northern Europe. Such structures typically date from the 11th to 13th centuries and consist of a steep-sided artificial or enhanced natural hill crowned by a timber or stone tower, often surrounded by a ditch and bailey enclosure.
The motte rises from bedrock of the Appin Group, a suite of metamorphic rocks—graphitic pelite, calcareous pelite, calcsilicate-rock and psammite—formed during the Neoproterozoic era hundreds of millions of years before the motte's construction. This ancient geological foundation provided a relatively stable base for the medieval earthwork, though the surrounding terrain shaped its precise siting within the local landscape.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduled monument reference SM7642, reflecting its significance as evidence of medieval settlement patterns and defensive organisation in the Scottish Highlands. The motte's survival as an upstanding earthwork contributes to understanding the distribution and character of early medieval fortifications in Inverness-shire.
Leanachan, motte 250m SW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7642. View the official record →
Leanachan motte is a medieval fortification situated in Inverness-shire, some 250 metres south-west of the main settlement. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7642.
Leanachan, motte 250m SW of dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Leanachan, motte 250m SW 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 SM7642.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Old House of Keppoch,motte 250m SE of Keppoch (5.7 km), Caledonian Canal,Moy Bridge to Gairlochy (7 km), Caledonian Canal, Gairlochy Locks, lighthouse and signal lamp (7.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Leanachan, motte 250m SW 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.
Leanachan, motte 250m SW of stands on Appin Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is graphitic pelite, calcareous pelite, calcsilicate-rock and psammite.