Hillforts Map

Home / Scotland / Scottish Borders / Eildon Hill North

Eildon Hill North

Scottish Borders, Scotland · Atlas SC3327

Eildon Hill North is a contour fort and a multiple enclosure in Melrose, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

It is recorded as extant, with a multivallate rampart form, surface evidence of earthen bank, and an enclosed area of 15.5 hectares.

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

The topographic record places it on a hilltop and at 404 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes pasture and heather moorland.

Dating evidence is recorded for 1200–800 BC and AD 50–400 (Artefactual and C14). Reliability is recorded as A - High.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (2107).

Location

Atlas number
SC3327 (3327)
Country
Scotland
Current county or unitary authority
Scottish Borders
Historic county
Roxburghshire
Parish, community, or townland
Melrose
National Grid reference
NT 5545 3280
Latitude
55.58683
Longitude
-2.70834
Altitude
404 m

Form and condition

Type
contour fort and multiple enclosure
Condition
Extant
Morphology
multivallate
Complete rampart circuit
Yes
Number of ramparts
4
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 4, SE 3, SW 4, NW 4
Number of ditches
2
Possible original entrances
4
Breaks through the ramparts
5
Enclosed area
15.5 ha
Enclosure areas
3.2 ha, 15.5 ha
Footprint
18.6 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
earthen bank
Enclosing works, excavated
earthen bank
Also recorded
multi-period enclosure system and ditches
Entrance forms
Oblique (East); Simple Gap (South east); Oblique (South west); Simple Gap (West); Blocked (East)

Landscape

Topographic position
hilltop
Aspect
level
Land use
pasture and heather moorland

Dating

Dating
1200–800 BC and AD 50–400
Dating evidence
Artefactual and C14
Dating reliability
A - High

Interior and investigation

Interior excavation
pits, postholes, and roundhouses
Finds
pottery, metal, metalworking, and lithics
Investigations
1st Identified Written Reference (1743); 1st Identified Map Depiction (1770); Other (1858); Earthwork Survey (1893); Excavation (1894); Earthwork Survey (1950); Excavation (1953); Other (1961); Other (1976); Excavation (1986)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
2107
HER
Scottish Borders 55668
National record
record NT 53 SE 57; monument 55668
Wikidata
Q31105422

Sources

References

  1. Christison, D (1894) 'The prehistoric fortresses of Treceiri, and Eildon, Roxburgh. Proc Soc Antiq Scot 28 (1893-4), 101-19
  2. Horn, J. Forthcoming. The dating of hillforts in Britain and Ireland. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh.
  3. Milne, A (1743) Description of the parish of Melrose; in answer to Mr. Maitland's queries, sent to each parish of the Kingdom
  4. Owen, O A 1992 'Eildon Hill North'. 21-72 in Rideout, J S, Owen, O A and Halpin, E (1992) Hillforts of southern Scotland. AOC (Scotland) Ltd and Historic Scotland: Edinburgh
  5. RCAHMS (1956) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. An inventory of the ancient and historical monuments of Roxburghshire: with the fourteenth report of the Commission, 2v. HMSO: Edinburgh
  6. Steer, K A S and Feachem, R W (1952) 'A Roman signal-station on Eildon Hill North, Roxburghshire'. Proc Soc Antiq Scot 86 (1951-2), 202-5