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Oldcastles is an Iron Age fort located in Berwickshire, Scotland, situated approximately 350 metres north-north-west of the settlement after which it is named. The fort is constructed upon bedrock of the Stratheden Group, a geological formation of sandstone and conglomerate laid down during the Late Devonian period and interbedded with other strata. This solid foundation would have provided a stable base for the fort's defences and internal structures.
The fort represents a significant defensive settlement of the Iron Age, a period when hillforts and fortified enclosures served as centres of power, storage and refuge across Scotland. The choice of location on Berwickshire's rolling terrain reflects the strategic importance of controlling the landscape, offering views across surrounding territories and access to water sources and agricultural land necessary to sustain its population.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM5228, recognising its importance as a scheduled monument. This protection ensures that the archaeological remains of this Iron Age settlement are preserved for future study and understanding of the prehistoric communities that inhabited the Borders region.
Oldcastles, fort 350m NNW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5228. View the official record →
Oldcastles is an Iron Age fort located in Berwickshire, Scotland, situated approximately 350 metres north-north-west of the settlement after which it is named. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5228.
Oldcastles, fort 350m NNW of 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.
Oldcastles, fort 350m NNW 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 SM5228.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Auchencrow Mains,enclosure and ditches 1000m SSE of (0.7 km), Taprobane, palisaded enclosure 970m SE of (0.9 km), Billie Castle (1.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Oldcastles, fort 350m NNW 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.
Oldcastles, fort 350m NNW of stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.