Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of
Iron Age · Fort

West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of

Scotland
HES SM5586
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Fort
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

West Mains of Ethie is a fortified settlement of iron age date located in Angus, Scotland, approximately 250 metres south of the settlement of Ethie. The fort is constructed on bedrock belonging to the Arbuttnott-Garvock Group, a geological formation of Pragian age comprising sandstone with subordinate layers of conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone. This varied substrate would have provided both building stone and drainage characteristics relevant to the site's construction and long-term stability.

The fort represents a significant defensive installation from Scotland's prehistoric iron age period. Its strategic location in the Angus landscape reflects the settlement patterns of iron age communities in eastern Scotland, occupying defensible ground that offered command of the surrounding terrain.

West Mains of Ethie is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference number SM5586, recognising its archaeological importance and national significance. The monument remains a valuable resource for understanding iron age settlement, fortification strategies and land use in the Angus region during this formative period of Scottish prehistory.

West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5586. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of?

West Mains of Ethie is a fortified settlement of iron age date located in Angus, Scotland, approximately 250 metres south of the settlement of Ethie. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5586.

What period does West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of date from?

West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of 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 West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of?

West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S 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 SM5586.

What other scheduled monuments are near West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Prail Castle,fort (0.6 km), Ethie Mains,fort 750m SE of (1.6 km), Castle Rock,fort,Auchmithie (2.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S 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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Prail Castle,fort
Iron Age · Fort0.6 km
Ethie Mains,fort 750m SE of
Iron Age · Fort1.6 km
Castle Rock,fort,Auchmithie
Iron Age · Fort,auchmithie2.1 km
St Murdoch's Chapel, church and burial ground
Medieval · Church and burial ground2.2 km
Raesmill Burn, unenclosed settlement 300m ESE of Anniston Mill
Unenclosed settlement 300m ese of anniston mill2.6 km
Lud Castle, fort 400m ESE of Tanglehall
Iron Age · Fort 400m ese of tanglehall2.8 km
Newbarns, enclosure and ring ditch 345m SSW of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure and ring ditch3 km
Bryanton,enclosure 200m N of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure4.5 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of

West Mains of Ethie,fort 250m S of stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.

All Scheduled Monuments