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Moredun Top is a Perthshire iron age fort built upon bedrock of Devonian mafic lava and tuff, ancient volcanic stone that forms the geological foundation of this upland landscape. The site commands a strategic position within the region's rolling terrain, where the underlying extrusive rocks create a naturally elevated setting ideal for defence. These Silurian to Devonian volcanic deposits would have offered a stable and commanding platform for the fort's construction.
The fort follows the characteristic iron age tradition of substantial earthwork defences, utilising the natural topography and robust underlying geology to reinforce its fortification. The volcanic bedrock, composed primarily of mafic material, would have influenced both the construction methods available to its builders and the site's long-term stability. Such geological conditions are typical of Perthshire's ancient landscape, where volcanic formations date back over 350 million years.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference number SM9440, recognising its archaeological and historical significance as an iron age settlement. Moredun Top represents an important surviving example of iron age defensive architecture within the Scottish Highlands, preserving evidence of the strategic concerns and building practices of pre-Roman Scotland.
Moredun Top, fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9440. View the official record →
Moredun Top is a Perthshire iron age fort built upon bedrock of Devonian mafic lava and tuff, ancient volcanic stone that forms the geological foundation of this upland landscape. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9440.
Moredun Top, fort dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Moredun Top, 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 SM9440.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Law of Dumbuils, fort (4.6 km), Carey, Roman temporary camp and enclosure, Abernethy (5.2 km), West Dron Cottages, cup-marked stone 800m SSW of (5.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Moredun Top, 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.
Moredun Top, fort stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.