© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Perdieus Mount is a motte situated near Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland. The monument stands upon bedrock of the Clackmannan Group, sedimentary rocks formed during the Westphalian period of the Carboniferous era. This geological foundation provided a stable base for the defensive earthwork's construction. The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM867.
The motte represents a common form of medieval fortification across Scotland, typically comprising an artificial or enlarged mound topped by a timber palisade and defensive structures. At Perdieus Mount, the local geology would have influenced both the construction methods employed and the long-term stability of the earthwork. The Clackmannan Group rocks underlying the site are characteristic of central Scotland's industrial belt geology.
The monument's survival into the modern era reflects the durability of well-engineered motte construction in this landscape. Perdieus Mount remains an important testament to medieval defensive settlement in the Dunfermline area, where both natural topography and underlying solid geology combined to create a strategically significant fortified position.
Perdieus Mount, motte, Dunfermline is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM867. View the official record →
Perdieus Mount is a motte situated near Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM867.
Perdieus Mount, motte, Dunfermline dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a motte, dunfermline. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Perdieus Mount, motte, Dunfermline 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 SM867.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rosyth Castle (4.9 km), Blackness Castle (7.3 km), Abercorn Castle, remains of (7.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Perdieus Mount, motte, Dunfermline'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.
Perdieus Mount, motte, Dunfermline stands on Clackmannan Group, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, clackmannan group type.