Monument record MAB15937 - MITHER TAP O'BENNACHIE

Remains of a hill fort.

Remains of a hill fort. It is an unusual, stone-walled, fort. About 30 m below the summit the main wall, circa 7 m wide and up to 1.7 m high, encloses a central area with the stone walls linking individual granite outcrops. The entrance to the northeast is well-preserved, as is the main wall around the site. There is a parapet wall still visible on the rampart next to the entrance. To the northwest of the main entrance, close to the inner wall face, are two level platforms which may have been hut stances. The main entrance passage is 16m long by 3 m wide with the remains of a door jamb at the inner end of the main entrance which appears to have been paved. A hornwork covers the entrance with a track leading from the fort downhill, called the 'Maiden Causeway'. A cistern is set against the south arc of the main wall. Another possible entrance can be made out at the west side. An inner wall is represented by tumble and scree around the main tor. Excavations in the 1870s revealed up to 10 house foundations, though most of these were built at a different time from the fort. In 2007 two radiocarbon dates were recovered during a watching-brief on path work that was being carried out to create a stable route through the fort. The works were part of a wider project to upgrade the existing routes across the Bennachie plateau to prevent further erosion of the fragile moorland environment. The two charcoal samples from the site place the date of the fort in the first millennium AD rather than the first millennium BC. Excavation carried out by University of Aberdeen in June 2019 identified buildings and platforms within the fort and uncovered steps leading down to the well which was first recorded in the 1800s. Every trench identified occupation deposits/evidence of activity. Radiocarbon dating samples from the lower wall core gave a date of 613-674 AD, and from the lower citadel midden dates of 668-858 AD. Various examples of 19th century graffiti have been recorded on the granite outcrops, including the marks of the Commonty which indicate the local estates that meet at the summit and recording the division of the Commonty in 1859.

Period Notes
Two charcoal samples from the site date to between 340AD - 540AD, and 640AD - 780AD (Sample taken 2007). SUERC-13466 (GU-14954) from charcoal: 1330+/-35 BP, 646 - 769 cal AD (2 sigma, Oxcal 4.2, run 03/06/14): SUERC-13465 (GU-14953) 1625+/-35, 377 - 538 cal AD (2 sigma, Oxcal 4.2, run 03/06/14). Samples 2019: GU52239 - not dated, failed on collagen quality; SUERC-88094 (GU52240), lower wall core, 1381+/-25 BP, calibrated to 613-674 AD (at 2 sigma. Oxcal 4.3); SUERC-88098 (GU52241), lower citadel midden, 1263+/-25 BP, calibrated to 668-854 AD (2 sigma, Oxcal 4.3); SUERC-88099 (GU52242), 1261+/-25 BP, calibrated to 669-858 AD (2 sigma, Oxcal 4.3).

AB/2673 (1904), AB/2673 (1904) (Ground Photograph). SAB13849.

AB/2686 (1904), AB/2686 (1904) (Ground Photograph). SAB13850.

BBC NEWS WEBSITE, , BBC NEWS WEBSITE, 18/06/19 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3784.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 11/03/81 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 12/05/88 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 19/07/82 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No70(1867) 60 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

MACLAGAN, C, 1875, CHIPS FROM OLD STONES, 35-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1223.

MACLAGAN, C., 1875, THE HILL FORTS & STONE CIRCLES OF ANCIENT SCOTLAND, 32-7 PLS 1-111 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1147.

McCONNOCHIE, AC, 1890, BENNACHIE, 51-2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1135.

SIMPSON, WD, 1943, PROVINCE OF MAR, 60-1 PLAN & ILL (Bibliographic reference). SAB1676.

FEACHEM, RW, 1963, PREHISTORIC SCOTLAND, 104-5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB503.

SHEPHERD, IAG, 1979, EARLY GRAMPIAN, 22 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1636.

McKAY, JR, 1980, GUIDE TO BENNACHIE (Bibliographic reference). SAB1224.

RALSTON, IBM, 1983, BAR 118, 159-60 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1527.

SHEPHERD, I, 1996, ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED), p. 143 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4829.

FORESTRY COMMISSION SCOTLAND, 2005, MITHER TAP FORT: SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN MARCH 2005 - MARCH 2010, Management Plan (Bibliographic reference). SAB2541.

HEADLAND ARCHAEOLOGY, 2006, MITHER TAP FORT, BENNACHIE, ABERDEENSHIRE: RESULTS OF AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF (Bibliographic reference). SAB4358.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2007, DISCOVERY & EXCAVATION SCOTLAND, p.28 (D Atkinson) (Bibliographic reference). SAB4029.

BLACKMORE, M, 2019, A STUDY OF THE HISTORIC CARVINGS ON THE MITHER TAP, BENNACHIE IN ‘BENNACHIE AND THE GARIOCH’ (Bibliographic reference). SAB3821.

NOBLE, G, 2019, EXCAVATIONS AT MITHER TAP: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB3009.

Apr 4 2007 , GR DG 1182, GR DG 1182 (Ground Photograph). SAB19152.

Apr 13 1989 , IS 4, IS 4 (Ground Photograph). SAB33659.

Aug 8 1984 , AAS/84/12-13/R25(1)/4-5, AAS/84/12-13/R25(1)/4-5 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13842.

Aug 10 1978 , AAS/78/04/S4/11-7, AAS/78/04/S4/11-7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13841.

Aug 23 1990 , KO 10-12, KO 10-12 (Ground Photograph). SAB33824.

Aug 25 1986 , AAS/86/05/CT14, AAS/86/05/CT14 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19837.

Aug 25 1998 , AAS/GR/98/CT483-484, AAS/GR/98/CT483-484 (Ground Photograph). SAB33103.

Aug 30 2006 , AAS/06/3/DG645, 426-7, AAS/06/3/DG645, 426-7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18775.

Dec 1 1981 , CNC 1-3, CNC 1-3 (Ground Photograph). SAB33907.

Dec 16 1981 , AAS/81/14/CT41,43-4,46-8, AAS/81/14/CT41,43-4,46-8 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18806.

Dec 16 1981 , AAS/81/14/S20/20-1, AAS/81/14/S20/20-1 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13843.

Feb 27 1996 , AAS/96/01/CT6-9 12,28-9, AAS/96/01/CT6-9 12,28-9 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19669.

Feb 27 1996 , AAS/96/01/G1/30, AAS/96/01/G1/30 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16276.

Feb 27 1996 , AAS/96/01/G2/1,2,5,6, AAS/96/01/G2/1,2,5,6 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16277.

Feb 27 1996 , AAS/GR/96/CT06,253, AAS/GR/96/CT06,253 (Ground Photograph). SAB32959.

Jan 1 1986 , AAS/GR/86/CT08-09, AAS/GR/86/CT08-09 (Ground Photograph). SAB33212.

Jan 1 1990 , AAS/GR/90/CT111-113, AAS/GR/90/CT111-113 (Ground Photograph). SAB33235.

Jan 15 1982 , AAS/82/1-2/S2/10-2, AAS/82/1-2/S2/10-2 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13844.

Jul 2 2009 , AAS/09/1/DG0583-7, AAS/09/1/DG0583-7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19975.

Jul 15 1947 , V 24, V 24 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13847.

Jul 15 1958 , XD 19,22,26-9, XD 19,22,26-9 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13846.

Jul 18 2000 , AAS/00/10/CT10, AAS/00/10/CT10 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB17426.

Jul 18 2015 , AAS-GR-15-07-100, 101, AAS-GR-15-07-100, 101 (Ground Photograph). SAB20930.

Jul 22 1982 , AAS/82/14/R21/2, AAS/82/14/R21/2 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13845.

Jul 29 1975 , BVH 084, BVH 084 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13848.

Jun 9 2019 , AAS-GR-19-06-236 - 248, AAS-GR-19-06-236 - 248 (Ground Photograph). SAB35140.

Jun 13 1996 , AAS/GR/96/CT122-123, AAS/GR/96/CT122-123 (Ground Photograph). SAB32960.

Mar 21 2006 , AAS/06/1/CT41-8, AAS/06/1/CT41-8 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18805.

May 7 1987 , JO 28-34, JO 28-34 (Ground Photograph). SAB33750.

Nov 1 1984 , DW 30, DW 30 (Ground Photograph). SAB13851.

Nov 12 2015 , AAS-GR-15-11-200, AAS-GR-15-11-200 (Ground Photograph). SAB35561.

Nov 25 1996 , AAS/96/18/CT19, AAS/96/18/CT19 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19692.

Oct 1 1980 , FP 2-7, FP 2-7 (Ground Photograph). SAB13852.

Oct 4 2007 , AAS/07/02/DG1866-90, AAS/07/02/DG1866-90 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19244.

Oct 5 2000 , AAS/00/14/CT20, AAS/00/14/CT20 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB17514.

Sep 2 1999 , GR/99/CT223, GR/99/CT223 (Ground Photograph). SAB37021.

Record last edited

Apr 2 2026 12:55PM