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Rait Hill is a Iron Age fort situated in Perthshire, Scotland, protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The fort occupies high ground whose bedrock comprises sandstone and conglomerate of the Stratheden Group, laid down in the Late Devonian period. This mixed geology would have provided both stone suitable for construction and a naturally defensive position commanding the surrounding landscape.
The fort's defences follow the contours of the hill, typical of Iron Age hillforts constructed across Scotland during the first millennium BC. Such sites served multiple functions as centres of power, refuge in times of conflict, and hubs for trade and craft production. The Perthshire landscape, with its river valleys and hill country, supported several such fortified settlements during the Iron Age.
Archaeological study of Rait Hill contributes to understanding settlement patterns and defensive strategies in Iron Age central Scotland. The monument remains an important record of prehistoric land use and social organisation in Perthshire, preserved within the Historic Environment Scotland schedule to protect its archaeological integrity and ensure its significance for future research and interpretation.
Rait Hill, fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7251. View the official record →
Rait Hill is a Iron Age fort situated in Perthshire, Scotland, protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7251.
Rait Hill, 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.
Rait Hill, 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 SM7251.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Prehistoric settlement, 575m SSW of Clashbenny (6.4 km), St Madoes standing stones 200m WNW of Pitfour Castle (6.7 km), Inchyra Farm, unenclosed settlement 500m NE of (7.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rait Hill, 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.
Rait Hill, fort stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.