A gorse-covered stone mound may preserve a dun or broch whose unexcavated deposits offer a valuable counterpart to nearby Tappoch.
Quick facts
- Date
- Later prehistoric
- Architect / designer
- Later-prehistoric builders
- Type
- Unexcavated stone dun or broch
- Designation
- Scheduled monument (SM6929)
- OS grid reference
- NS 82207 84595
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The visible remains form a stony mound roughly 15–20 metres across. Earlier observers recorded massive walling, while quarrying and later agricultural change altered the surroundings without removing the core protected structure.
Its story
The building belongs to the later-prehistoric defended or high-status settlement tradition. It was recognised as a probable dun or broch in the 1980s. Its lack of excavation preserves questions that can be compared with the more structurally legible Tappoch Broch.
Why it is included
Scheduling protects a rare lowland stone structure and its deposits, whose undisturbed character may reveal construction, occupation and relationships within the Tor Wood landscape.
What to notice
- Low stony mound beneath gorse rather than restored walls.
- Position within rough ground altered by former quarrying.
- Landscape relationship with Tappoch about a kilometre away.
Reading the surroundings
Do not enter fields, quarry land or rough ground without permission. Gorse, hidden drops and unstable material create hazards; never clear vegetation, move stones, dig or metal-detect.
Timeline
- Later prehistoric period A massive circular stone structure occupied the site.
- 1980s Visible walling led investigators to identify a probable dun or broch.
- 1994 Scheduling secured protection for the mound and adjacent deposits.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Dense vegetation and the absence of excavation limit classification. The record therefore preserves both possibilities instead of selecting a more impressive label.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Doghillock Dun, SM6929 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: SM6929 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
Location
OS grid reference NS 82207 84595 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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