Scheduled MonumentsScotlandOrchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill
Iron Age · Fort 450m nne of orchill

Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill

Scotland
HES SM3605
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Fort 450m nne of orchill
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Orchill Fort is an Iron Age hillfort located 450 metres north-north-east of Orchill in Perthshire, Scotland. The fort occupies a naturally prominent position on bedrock formed from the Arbuttnott-Garvock Group, a geological formation of Pragian age comprising sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone. This varied sedimentary foundation would have provided a defensible site with outcropping stone suitable for fortification construction, typical advantages that Iron Age communities sought when establishing hill-based settlements.

The fort is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3605, reflecting its archaeological significance as a surviving example of Iron Age settlement in the central Scottish Highlands. Hillforts of this period, generally dated between the 8th and 1st centuries BC, served as communal centres of power and refuge, with defensive banks and ditches constructed to enclose domestic and ceremonial spaces.

The location within Perthshire places the fort within a region that saw intensive Iron Age settlement activity. The survival of the monument's earthworks on its sandstone and siltstone base has allowed the fort's plan and defensive features to remain visible in the landscape, contributing to understanding of how Iron Age communities organised their settlement hierarchy and utilised the natural topography of the Perthshire uplands.

Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3605. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill?

Orchill Fort is an Iron Age hillfort located 450 metres north-north-east of Orchill in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3605.

What period does Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill date from?

Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort 450m nne of orchill. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill?

Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill 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 SM3605.

What other scheduled monuments are near Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rhynd, enclosed settlement 600m ENE of (2.9 km), Cecilmount, fort 350m SW of (3.8 km), Fort, 210m SW of Brookfield House (3.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill'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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill

Orchill Fort,fort 450m NNE of Orchill stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.