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Witches Knowe is a Iron Age fort located in East Lothian, Scotland. The site occupies a naturally defensive position on bedrock of the Shinnel and Glenlee Formations, undifferentiated wacke deposits laid down in the Ashgill period. This solid geological foundation would have provided a stable base for the construction of the fort's ramparts and internal structures, typical of fortified settlements from this period in south-eastern Scotland.
The fort's name reflects the landscape history and folklore of East Lothian, though its original Iron Age purpose was defensive and communal. Forts of this type typically featured earth or stone ramparts enclosing an area used for habitation, storage and refuge. The wacke bedrock, being resistant to erosion, has helped preserve the site's topography and enabled the survival of archaeological evidence.
Witches Knowe is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM5861, recognising its significance as a nationally important prehistoric monument. The site contributes to our understanding of Iron Age settlement patterns and defensive strategies in the Lothian region during the first millennium before the Common Era.
Witches Knowe,fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5861. View the official record →
Witches Knowe is a Iron Age fort located in East Lothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5861.
Witches Knowe,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.
Witches Knowe,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 SM5861.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dodcleugh,fort and settlement 650m S of (7.2 km), Hillhouse, fort 250m NNW of (8.3 km), Glenburnie,fort 600m S of (8.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Witches Knowe,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.
Witches Knowe,fort stands on Shinnel Formation And Glenlee Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is wacke.