Scheduled MonumentsScotlandPeace Knowe,fort
Iron Age · Fort

Peace Knowe,fort

Scotland
HES SM1901
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Fort
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Peace Knowe is a Iron Age fort located in Linlithgowshire, Scotland. The monument occupies a defensible position above sedimentary bedrock of the Strathclyde Group, which formed during the Visean period and provides the geological foundation beneath the site. This stone sequence, composed of cyclically deposited sedimentary layers, would have influenced both the fort's construction and the landscape available to its builders.

The fort represents the later prehistoric period, when fortified settlements served as centres of power, refuge and territorial control across Scotland. Its construction exploited the natural topography of the location, a common strategy for Iron Age builders seeking defensive advantage. The specific geology of Linlithgowshire, with its varied sedimentary bedrock, shaped the resources available to the community that built and occupied this settlement.

Peace Knowe is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1901, recognising its archaeological significance as a rare surviving example of Iron Age fortification in the region. The monument contributes to our understanding of prehistoric settlement patterns and defensive architecture in Lowland Scotland.

Peace Knowe,fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1901. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Peace Knowe,fort?

Peace Knowe is a Iron Age fort located in Linlithgowshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1901.

What period does Peace Knowe,fort date from?

Peace Knowe,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.

Who is responsible for protecting Peace Knowe,fort?

Peace Knowe,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 SM1901.

What other scheduled monuments are near Peace Knowe,fort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including South Mains,homestead moat 200m N of (2.3 km), Carledubs, unenclosed settlement, 275m NE of 30 Carledubs Crescent (3.6 km), Craigmailing,cross slab 550m NW of (4.2 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Peace Knowe,fort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Peace Knowe,fort'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 Peace Knowe,fort report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Peace Knowe,fort

Peace Knowe,fort stands on Strathclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Visean. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, strathclyde group type.