Scheduled MonumentsScotlandRossie Law,fort
Iron Age · Fort

Rossie Law,fort

Scotland
HES SM2976
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Fort
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Rossie Law Fort is an Iron Age fort occupying a prominent hilltop position in Perthshire, Scotland. The fort's defensive location exploits the natural topography of its site, which stands upon bedrock of Silurian to Devonian extrusive rocks—ancient mafic lava and tuff formed during the Devonian period. This geological foundation provided a stable, elevated platform ideally suited to prehistoric fortification and settlement.

The fort represents the Iron Age tradition of hilltop defensive structures characteristic of Scotland's north-eastern regions. Such positions commanded views across surrounding territory and offered natural protection enhanced by constructed ramparts and ditches. The site's prominent situation would have served both defensive and administrative functions within Iron Age settlement hierarchies.

Rossie Law Fort is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM2976, recognising its significance as a surviving example of Iron Age fortification. The structure provides important evidence for understanding settlement patterns, social organisation and land use during the Iron Age in Perthshire. The site's preservation allows archaeologists and historians to continue studying how prehistoric communities exploited both topography and local geology to establish and defend their settlements.

Rossie Law,fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2976. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Rossie Law,fort?

Rossie Law Fort is an Iron Age fort occupying a prominent hilltop position in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2976.

What period does Rossie Law,fort date from?

Rossie Law,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 Rossie Law,fort?

Rossie Law,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 SM2976.

What other scheduled monuments are near Rossie Law,fort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ben Effray,fort (2 km), Castle Craig, fort SSW of Pairney (2.2 km), Gray Stone,standing stone,250m NNE of Knowes (2.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Rossie Law,fort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rossie Law,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.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Rossie Law,fort

Rossie Law,fort stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.