Scheduled MonumentsScotlandLoch Maberry Castle,crannog
Iron Age–Medieval · Crannog

Loch Maberry Castle,crannog

Scotland
HES SM1991
Period
Iron Age–Medieval
Site type
Crannog
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Loch Maberry Castle is a crannog—an artificial island dwelling constructed in a freshwater loch in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. Crannogs served as defended residences from the Iron Age through the medieval period, their island location providing natural protection and access to water resources. This example sits upon bedrock of the Kirkcolm Formation, a Caradocian wacke deposit that underlies much of the surrounding landscape. The crannog itself was built up through successive deposits of timber, stone and organic material, creating a stable platform for structures above the waterline. Such sites combine evidence of domestic occupation with strategic advantages of island settlement. Loch Maberry Castle is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland (reference SM1991), recognising its archaeological significance as a record of settlement patterns, building techniques and material culture spanning over two thousand years of occupation in this part of Galloway.

Loch Maberry Castle,crannog is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1991. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Loch Maberry Castle,crannog?

Loch Maberry Castle is a crannog—an artificial island dwelling constructed in a freshwater loch in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1991.

What period does Loch Maberry Castle,crannog date from?

Loch Maberry Castle,crannog dates from the iron age–medieval period, and is classified as a crannog. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Loch Maberry Castle,crannog?

Loch Maberry Castle,crannog 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 SM1991.

What other scheduled monuments are near Loch Maberry Castle,crannog?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Loch Ochiltree,crannogs (3.2 km), Deil's Dike,linear earthwork,Hill of Ochiltree (4.4 km), Cairnderry, chambered cairn (5.7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Loch Maberry Castle,crannog

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Loch Maberry Castle,crannog's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Loch Maberry Castle,crannog

Loch Maberry Castle,crannog stands on Kirkcolm Formation, bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is wacke.