Davie’s Castle

Nearest town:
Cullen (3km NNE)
OS reference:
NJ49856436
OS sheets:
28, 29
Latitude:
57° 39' 59.07 N
Longitude:
2° 50' 26.6 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Davie’s Castle (Hillfort) by drewbhoy

The north rampart ends with a drop into the eastern quarry.

Image credit: drew/amj
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Apr 12, 2011
Image of Davie’s Castle (Hillfort) by drewbhoy

The end of the north sided rampart/ditch at its southern end. Beyond that is a sheer drop into a quarry.

Image credit: drew/amj
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Apr 12, 2011
Image of Davie’s Castle (Hillfort) by drewbhoy

Some beasts skull and limbs. The fort is still used by somebody.

Image credit: drew/amj
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Apr 12, 2011
Image of Davie’s Castle (Hillfort) by drewbhoy

The clearing, which you cross to climb up the hill with the trees in front.

Image credit: drew/amj
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Apr 12, 2011
Image of Davie’s Castle (Hillfort) by drewbhoy

From Nether Blairock farm, the fort is in the trees far right. Hill Of Maud in the background.

Image credit: drew/amj
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Apr 12, 2011

Articles

Davie’s Castle

stolinskie
stolinskie Jan 19, 2025

I went here in late 2024 – it’s a cool site which was fairly easy to find using the OS map, although of course I ended up on the wrong side of the burn and had to scale the steepest edge. The problem is that so many of the trees have now fallen over that it’s impenetrable. I couldn’t even walk around the ditch completely. In a way that’s nature at work, in a way it’s a shame to see an ancient site becoming inaccessible. Of course on a longer time scale it doesn’t matter, the trees will prob all be gone in decades!

Davie’s Castle

drewbhoy
drewbhoy Apr 12, 2011

From A98 just before Cullen head south on the B9018 thru the village of Lintmill until the first minor road west at Nether Blairock farm. From here go for a mile (approx) until the first corner. Stop here, as forestry roads lead to the site. Walk a few yards and take a the track going in a north easterly direction. This is a beautifully quiet place, a stark contast to noise of the match I’ve just been to and the singing on the bus (1-0 us). But a great way to start the day. Its early morning and the this part of the world, at least, is tranquil. Follow the track for another mile and the tree clearing narrows and a hill appears. Cross over and climb.

Most of the rampart seems, to me, to be in quite good condition. The west heads north to arc round and head south in the east to eventually end with an abrupt drop into quarry. The ditch/rampart height must average at 4 feet all the way round except for the two ditches at the southern flank. A possible entrance is in the north. The fort’s interior is now covered in trees but in the middle there seems to be usage. A small circle of stones contains a couple of skulls and limbs of something. Seems pretty deliberate to me. Some kind of sacrifice, I hope not but I don’t know much about these things so I can’t really comment.

So with that done it was a pleasant walk back to the car from a site that I found quite inspiring for reasons I don’t know why. Time for a few more sites before catching the supporters bus to Perth for tonights game.

Visited 12/4/2011.

Miscellaneous

Davie’s Castle
Hillfort
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Jul 4, 2016

‘The green track ahead brings us to commercial forestry and forges dead straight ahead for a couple of miles. Half a mile along is a second wonder. We plunge off road to our second fortress of the day – Davie’s Castle. A glacial tummock above the Glen Burn was fortified (in the Iron Age – say 2500 years ago) – defended with a circuit of ditch and a low bank (originally topped with a wall or palisade). Not a major hillfort but a suitable place for a petty chief to asset status among his own dependants and to proclaim power to his envious neighbours.‘

John Barrett Knock News – No. 112 June 2106.

Sites within 20km of Davie’s Castle

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