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St John's Point

Highland, Scotland ยท Atlas SC2833

St John's Point is a promontory fort in Canisbay, Highland, Scotland.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial univallate rampart form, surface evidence of earthen bank, and an enclosed area of 2.25 hectares.

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

The topographic record places it on a coastal promontory and at 15 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes pasture and coastal grassland.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (2689).

Location

Atlas number
SC2833 (2833)
Country
Scotland
Current county or unitary authority
Highland
Historic county
Caithness
Parish, community, or townland
Canisbay
National Grid reference
ND 3105 7515
Latitude
58.65878
Longitude
-3.19010
Altitude
15 m

Form and condition

Type
promontory fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial univallate
Complete rampart circuit
No
Number of ramparts
1
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 0, SE 0, SW 1, NW 0
Number of ditches
1
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
1
Enclosed area
2.25 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
earthen bank
Also recorded
ditches
Entrance forms
Simple Gap (South)

Landscape

Topographic position
coastal promontory
Aspect
level
Land use
pasture and coastal grassland

Dating

Dating
undated
Dating reliability
D - None

Interior and investigation

Interior surface
rectangular stone structures
Investigations
1st Identified Map Depiction (1873); Other (1910); Excavation (1919); Other (1965); Earthwork Survey (1967); Other (1968); Other (1971); Other (1972); Other (1982)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
2689
HER
Highland HER MHG1693
National record
record ND 37 NW 1 & 2; monument 9369
Wikidata
Q31101596

Sources

References

  1. Batey, C E (1982) Caithness coastal survey 1982: interim reports 1980-2, typescript Durham University.
  2. Feachem, R (1963) A guide to prehistoric Scotland. Batsford: London (p 180)
  3. Lamb, R G (1980) Iron Age promontory forts in the Northern Isles. Brit Archaeol Rep, British Ser 79. BAR: Oxford
  4. Macdonald and Laing, A D S and L R (1968) 'Early ecclesiastical sites in Scotland: a field survey, part 1'. Proc Soc Antiq Scot 100 (1967-8), 123-34
  5. Nicolson, J (1922) 'A cross-slab found at St John's Chapel, Canisbay, Caithness'. Proc Soc Antiq Scot 56 (1921-2), 66-7
  6. RCAHMS (1911) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Third report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Caithness. HMSO, London