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Balloch Hill

Argyll & Bute, Scotland · Atlas SC2210

Balloch Hill is a contour fort in Campbeltown, Argyll & Bute, Scotland.

Other names on the record: Bealloch Hill.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial bivallate and partial multivallate rampart form, surface evidence of stone wall, and an enclosed area of 0.2 hectares.

Banks or ramparts are the remains most likely to be visible.

The topographic record places it on a hilltop and at 150 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes pasture and heather moorland.

Dating evidence is recorded for 800–400 BC and 400 BC–AD 50 (Artefactual and C14). Reliability is recorded as C - Low.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (3639).

Location

Atlas number
SC2210 (2210)
Country
Scotland
Current county or unitary authority
Argyll & Bute
Historic county
Argyll
Parish, community, or townland
Campbeltown
National Grid reference
NR 6777 1767
Latitude
55.39787
Longitude
-5.66915
Altitude
150 m

Form and condition

Type
contour fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial bivallate and partial multivallate
Complete rampart circuit
Yes
Number of ramparts
3
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 2, SE 2, SW 3, NW 2
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
1
Enclosed area
0.2 ha
Enclosure areas
0.08 ha, 0.2 ha
Footprint
0.37 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
stone wall
Enclosing works, excavated
stone wall
Also recorded
multi-period enclosure system
Entrance forms
Simple Gap (East)

Landscape

Topographic position
hilltop
Aspect
level
Land use
pasture and heather moorland

Dating

Dating
800–400 BC, 400 BC–AD 50, and undated
Dating evidence
Artefactual and C14
Dating reliability
C - Low

Interior and investigation

Interior surface
rectangular stone structures
Interior excavation
pits, postholes, roundhouses, and rectangular structures
Finds
pottery, metal, metalworking, and lithics
Investigations
1st Identified Map Depiction (1866); Other (1955); Earthwork Survey (1960); Excavation (1973); Excavation (1974); Excavation (1975); Other (1975); Excavation (1976); Excavation (1977); Other (1977); Excavation (1978)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
3639
HER
The West of Scotland Archaeology Service 2932
National record
record NR 61 NE 8; monument 38340
Wikidata
Q31093161

Sources

References

  1. Peltenburg, E J (1973) 'Campbeltown, Balloch: hill fort'. Discovery Excav Scot 1973, 12-13
  2. Peltenburg, E J (1974) 'Campbeltown, Balloch: hillfort'. Discovery Excav Scot 1974, 16-17
  3. Peltenburg, E J (1975) 'Campbeltown, Balloch: hill fort'. Discovery Excav Scot 1975, 10
  4. Peltenburg, E J (1976) 'Balloch: hillfort'. Discovery Excav Scot, 1976, 18
  5. Peltenburg, E J (1977) 'Balloch: hillfort', Discovery Excav Scot 1977, 5-6
  6. Peltenburg, E J (1978) 'Balloch: hill fort', Discovery Excav Scot 1978, 21
  7. Peltenburg, E J (1982) 'Excavations at Balloch Hill, Argyll'. Proc Soc Antiq Scot 112 (1982), 142-214
  8. RCAHMS (1971) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: an inventory of the ancient monuments, volume 1: Kintyre. HMSO: Edinburgh