Site Report

WoSASPIN 10294

(NS 8318 4350) Fort (NR)
OS 6" map (1971)

Fort and Settlement, Black Hill: This stone-walled fort and later settlement occupy the summit of Black Hill, a prominent steep-flanked ridge that extends N from Dillar Hill between the Rivers Clyde and Nethan, commanding extensive views in all directions. The ground falls sharply away on the E and W, but easy access may be had along the spine of the ridge from both the N and S.
The fort (A on plan) is roughly oval and measures about 155m by 108m within a single stone wall. On the N and W ploughing and stone-robbing have reduced the wall to a band of debris 3.0m in average thickness and a modern farm track has obliterated a short stretch in the E; elsewhere, however, it measures up to 5m in thickness and 0.5m in height. Three outer facing stones have survived in situ as shown on the plan. There is no indication of the position of an original entrance. The interior contains no traces of dwellings, but the highest point of the hill is surmounted by the cairn described on NS84SW 15.
The settlement (B), which is situated on gently sloping ground, adjoins the fort on the SE and measures about 78m by 58m internally. Bounded by the fort wall for part of the circuit, it is otherwise enclosed by double banks of earth and stone with a medial ditch; the banks are best preserved on the N sector on each side of the track already mentioned, where they are 4.6m thick and stand 0.6m above the bottom of the ditch; elsewhere thay have been destroyed or survive simply as a low scarp. The entrance is in the SW. Two crescentic scarps lying within the settlement immediately N of the entrance probably indicate the sites of round timber houses about 8m in diameter, and there are at least three other possible sites now too indefinite to plan, in the N half of the interior.
Both the fort and settlement are traversed by ruinous boundary-walls of no great age.
RCAHMS 1978, visited 1975

Surveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (RD) 8 August 1966

Survey of the summit area of Black Hill was undertaken by ACFA at the request of the National Trust for Scotland, to record the full nature and extent of archaeological remains on the hill. A detailed topographic survey of the fort and settlement was produced, and a copy of the report has been deposited with the WoSAS SMR.
The fort is considered defensively very poor, perhaps serving a ceremonial rather than military function. One of the later dykes that crosses the fort and settlement is argued to be possibly late prehistoric or early medieval in date, and to overlie a possible hut-circle (obviously felt by RCAHMS to be a late feature associated with the dyke). It is suggested that the second dyke represents part of a head dyke for the valley to the east, dating possibly from medieval times.
ACFA, 2001
Entered WoSAS (CF) 02/05/01