Bizzyberry Hill

Nearest town:
Biggar (2km SW)
OS reference:
NT048393
OS sheet:
72
Latitude:
55° 38' 16.06 N
Longitude:
3° 30' 45.09 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by Howburn Digger

The saddle enclosure on Bizzyberry Hill. Neolithic pottery found in the ditch. The enclosure lies on the saddle between Ewe Hill Fort and the summit fort on Bizzyberry Hill.

Image credit: Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Jan 3, 2013
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by Howburn Digger

Centred on the cairn above Ewe Hill Fort and the saddle enclosure. Snow blind, low winter sun, fish-eye.

Image credit: Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Jan 3, 2013
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The western ditch remains pretty impressive, to be honest.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 25, 2012
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The remains of the rampart still poke through the summit soil here and there. Good thing, too.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 25, 2012
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Looking approx east from the summit hillfort. The other enclosure lies beyond the copse of trees, centre left(ish).

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 25, 2012
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Toward Biggar across the western defences of the summit ‘fort....... Tinto, with its massive Bronze Age cairn, rears up top right.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 25, 2012
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by Howburn Digger

The Ewe Hill Hillfort at the North end of Bizzyberry Hill. Looking to the East.

Image credit: Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Mar 24, 2012
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by Howburn Digger

130 horses and riders crossing the outer ramparts of the lower fort on Bizzyberry Hill. Biggar Riding of the Marches 12 June 2011

Image credit: Howburn Digger's Better Half
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Jun 13, 2011
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by Howburn Digger

130 horses and riders crossing the outer ramparts of the northernmost fort on Bizzyberry Hill. The fort platform is centred on the tree in the middle of the picture. Biggar Riding of the Marches 12 June 2011.

Image credit: Howburn Digger's Better Half
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Jun 13, 2011
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by Howburn Digger

The two surviving cairns. Tucked into Bizzyberry’s floppy waistband. You can just make out the North entrance just below the summit in the photo.

Image credit: Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Feb 21, 2010
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by Howburn Digger

Defensive ditches and ramparts of the fort at the North end of Bizzyberry. Outer ditch about 4 feet deep. Inner ditch around 6 feet deep.

Image credit: Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Feb 21, 2010
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by Howburn Digger

The waters of the well dribble out of the rock here. Currently frozen solid.

Image credit: Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Feb 21, 2010
Image of Bizzyberry Hill (Hillfort) by Howburn Digger

Wallace’s Well frozen solid. The spring comes out of the rock half way up on the right.

Image credit: Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Feb 21, 2010

Articles

Bizzyberry Hill

thelonious
thelonious Jun 10, 2018

26/05/2018 – Starting from Biggar we took the small path off the A702 (NT 04673824). It’s just after the new housing estate and a bit easy to miss. The path goes straight up through the trees then turns right through tall gorse. After that, cross a couple of fields and a final climb up to the top.

It was a busy Saturday in Biggar so it was nice to get away from the rush and spend a peaceful hour or so on Bizzyberry Hill (great name). Sunshine was lovely and the views fine.

I enjoyed my visit to this one.

Bizzyberry Hill

Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Feb 17, 2010

Bizzyberry is one of those rather surprising hills, Not very high (363 metres) but commands extraordinary views over to the Tweedsmuir Hills, the Broughton Heights and in all directions. The views North on a clear summer night are breathtaking and you somehow feel that you should get such vbiews from a comparatively low elevation. To the far West you can see Ben Arthur (The Cobbler) in Argyll and panning acroos to the East there’s Ben Lomond, The Trossachs peaks, Ben A’an, The Lomond Hills of Fife. And of course it looks over its shoulder forever at the might bulk of Tinto Hill with its massive cairn on the summit.
Bizzyberry Hill actually has two forts. The fort at the summit has a spectacular steep rock cut ditch on one side. Now under turf it is great for rolling chocolate eggs and children down. Some remnants of the defence wall can be discerned around the edge of the fort’s footprint.
Further down the hill at its Northern end sits another fort, This has circular stone footings for houses and is protected by three deep ditches which are also useful for rolling children down.
The spring (“Wallace’s Well”) just below the summit fort is still there, though little more than a trickle from a crack in the rock into a boggy puddle.
The hill also holds a probable cremation cemetery on the saddle between the forts. There are also at least three cairns. I have located two of them. One yielded a bronze axe (now on display at the NMS in Chambers Street, Embra) and a jet bead in the 19th century.
I have climbed the hill many times and it is best done in sunshine with a picnic. My kid has been climbing it since he was three so its not very difficult. The “Ewe Hill Hillfort at the North End of Bizzyberry is the best preserved and the ditches and house footing are in very good nick.
Parking? Park at the layby a mile or so North of Biggar on the A702 signposted for Gladstone’s Cottage Ruin, the hill sits across the road. Or park in Biggar and walk out past Loaningdales Outdoor centre to ascend the hill.

Folklore

Bizzyberry Hill
Hillfort
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Mar 25, 2009

A fort defended by a single wall and a rock-cut ditch topped this hill.

... tradition points out on the north side of Bizzyberry (or Bushyberry) “a hollow rock and a spring called Wallace’s seat and Wallace’s well.”

- from the Statistical Account of 1834-45, page 359, volume 6. Wallace and his men were said to have fought a huge battle locally.

Sites within 20km of Bizzyberry Hill

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