Scheduled MonumentsScotlandRough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of
Iron Age–Medieval · Crannog

Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of

Scotland
HES SM4064
Period
Iron Age–Medieval
Site type
Crannog
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Rough Loch Crannog is an Iron Age to medieval artificial island settlement situated in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. The crannog lies 450 metres east-south-east of Rough Loch itself, occupying a landscape underlain by Gala Group wacke bedrock of Telychian age. This substantial grey sandstone geology characterises the Merse and Galloway region and would have provided stone for building materials and tool-making during the monument's lengthy occupation spanning over a thousand years.

Crannogs were deliberate constructions, typically featuring timber frameworks and structures built on shallow lochs or wetland settings. The Rough Loch example represents a significant class of domestic settlement that provided defensive advantages and access to aquatic resources. The transition from Iron Age through to medieval use indicates continuous settlement patterns in this part of south-west Scotland, suggesting sustained occupation across successive periods of cultural and political change.

The crannog is recorded in the Historic Environment Scotland inventory and protected as a scheduled monument under reference SM4064. As an archaeological site preserving evidence of Iron Age and early medieval settlement practices, it contributes to understanding the domestic economy, construction techniques and settlement preferences of communities in historic Galloway.

Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4064. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of?

Rough Loch Crannog is an Iron Age to medieval artificial island settlement situated in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4064.

What period does Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of date from?

Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of dates from the iron age–medieval period, and is classified as a crannog. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of?

Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of 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 SM4064.

What other scheduled monuments are near Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Elrig,fort 230m W of (1.2 km), Elrig Farm, cairn 340m SW of (1.3 km), Two forts S.E. and S.S.E. of Chippermore (2.2 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of'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 Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of

Rough Loch,crannog 450m ESE of stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.