Earthwork record MAB23420 - CULLYKHAN

Remains of promontory fort.

Remains of promontory fort. Situated on a promontory with sides formed by precipitous cliffs and linked to the mainland by an isthmus no more than 4m wide, it is a multi-phase site comprising (1) the remains of a vitrified fort consisting of a double rampart on the west, a single rampart on the north (2) the site of a medieval castle at NJ 8378 6617 and consisting of a small keep, and (3) Fort Fiddes, a late 17th century coastal battery, the surviving defence comprising a spread earthen bank about 1.2m in maximum height. The initial defence was on the knoll, the landward point of the promontory and consisted of at least one palisade, probably built in the early 1st millennium BC. Around the 4th century BC the Knoll was refortified with a vertical wall of stone and timber and an elaborate gateway. There is considerable evidence of metalworking within the defended area with working bowls and hearths, with a complete crucible found beside one of the hearths. Some time after 100 BC a timber-laced rampart was built which was destroyed by a fierce fire. A fourth phase saw the cutting of two flat-bottomed ditches across the promontory at the junction of the Knoll and the main area. Excavations were carried out in the 1967-71 by JC Greig to investigate the west rampart and open an area within the northeast corner of the Iron Age occupation. A number of trenches were back-filled after excavation, the remainder were left open at the request of the landowner the Late Watt Taylor. The knoll also has the remains of a medieval castle/hall house built in the 12th century, with the remains of a with cobbled courtyard and later kitchen wing to the east. The site was refortified in the 17th century as an artillery defence, Fort Fiddes. There is also an 18th century bowling green and a 20th century coastal observation post from the last wars. The larger flat area of the promontory has been ploughed in the 19th and early 20th century according to an estate map. Radiocarbon dating of posts from the Phase 3 gateway have been radiocarbon dated to 750-200 BC. Dendrochronology of samples also indicates dates in the third quarter of the first millennium BC. Early cobbling cut by later ditches. Subsequent occupations superimposed on earlier occupations. Furnace overlies post-holes of ring ditch house. Site visit in 2022 as part of the SCAPE Coastal Zone Assessment Survey recorded the remains of a small concrete building at NJ8374666138, west of the Old Quay, its date unknown. Two buildings are shown at this location on the OS 1st edition map.

Period Notes
Multi-phase- 500 BC palisaded settlement; 12thC house structure on the Knoll; 13thC castle; 1680 fort with surviving earthen banks; 18thC bowling green; 20thC coastal observation post from the last wars.

BM 639 2347 +/- 59 (which equals 750 BC - 210 BC at 2 sigma); BM 443 106 bc +/- 51; BM444 1186bc +/- 60 (1530-1260 cal BC); BM 445 AD317 +/- 40 (250-570 cal AD); BM 446 387 bc +/- 65 (800-200 cal BC). Also a number of dentrochronology samples taken; dates still to come. Rcdating samples: GU-792 wood sample 3107 BP (Err: 303); 2200 - 500 cal BC. BM-639 outer wood of trunk of post-hole of phase I 2347 BP (Err:60) 800-200 cal BC: GU-2094 charcoal Sample 114 on cobbling sealed below rampart 1540 BP (Err: 50); 420-640 cal AD. GU-2095 charcoal Sample 50 from Trench XI layer 5 post-hole above cobbling and sealed by rampart 2110 BP (Err: 50); 360 cal BC - 10 cal AD. GU-2096 charcoal Sample 113 From post-hole 1, sealed under occupation 2010 BP (Err: 90); 350 cal BC - 250 cal AD. GU-2097 charcoal Sample 82 immediately above floor of platform site, sealed below rampart 2290 BP (Err: 60); 520-170 cal BC. GU-2098 charcoal Sample 103 timber raft from within vitrified rampart 2060 BP (Err; 50); 200 cal BC - 60 cal AD.

AAS/77/8/CT5, AAS/77/8/CT5 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18747.

EXCAVATION ARCHIVE, EXCAVATION ARCHIVE (Ground Photograph). SAB14676.

EXCAVATION ARCHIVE, EXCAVATION ARCHIVE (Ground Photograph). SAB14677.

GR/04/CT31, GR/04/CT31 (Ground Photograph). SAB37001.

GREIG, JC, 1964, DES 22-3, 22-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB650.

GREIG, JC, 1967, DES 16-7, 16-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB651.

GREIG, JC, 1970, ABER UNIV REV (1969-70) 274-83, 274-83 (Bibliographic reference). SAB607.

ROBERTSON, A, 1970, BRITANNIA 1, TABLE 1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1535.

GREIG, JC, 1971, SCOT ARCH FORUM, 15-21, 15-21 (Bibliographic reference). SAB611.

GREIG, JC, 1972, CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGY, 227-31, 227-21 (Bibliographic reference). SAB615.

CAMPBELL, JA, 1978, ARCHAEOMETRY 20, 33-8, 33-8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2319.

SHEPHERD, IAG, 1979, EARLY GRAMPIAN, 19 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1636.

RALSTON, IBM, 1981, HILLFORT STUDIES GROUP (Bibliographic reference). SAB1528.

RALSTON, IBM, 1983, BAR 118, 162-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1527.

HENSHALL, AS, 1983, STONE AGE TO THE '45,19-44, 38 (Bibliographic reference). SAB727.

SHEPHERD, IAG, 1988, THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY SUMMER CONFERENCE 1988: ABERDEEN AND NORTH EAST SCOTLAND, 67-8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1744.

GREIG & GREIG, MK & JC, 1989, PSAS 119(1988-89) 279-296, 279-296 (Bibliographic reference). SAB623.

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

SCAPE, 2023, COASTAL ZONE ASSESSMENT SURVEY ABERDEENSHIRE AND CITY OF ABERDEEN: CULLEN TO MILTON NESS, ID 15533 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4866.

CRONE , A, 2023, DENDROCHRONOLOGY AND RADIOCARBON WIGGLE MATCH DATING OF THE PHASE 3 POSTS (Bibliographic reference). SAB8556.

Apr 20 2009 , DG0303-25, DG0303-25 (Ground Photograph). SAB20404.

Apr 21 1993 , LE 2-7, LE 2-7 (Ground Photograph). SAB33881.

Aug 2 1974 , BRE 24-27, BRE 24-27 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB14671.

Aug 9 1977 , AAS/77/11/RD/33,35,38, AAS/77/11/RD/33,35,38 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB14668.

Aug 9 1977 , AAS/77/11/SR/28, AAS/77/11/SR/28 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB14669.

Aug 23 1981 , AAS/81/11/CT6-8,30,49,61, AAS/81/11/CT6-8,30,49,61 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18690.

Feb 28 1986 , AAS/86/01/S1/2, AAS/86/01/S1/2 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB14670.

Jan 1 1976 , AAS/GR/76/CT32-35, AAS/GR/76/CT32-35 (Ground Photograph). SAB32428.

Jan 1 1983 , AAS/GR/83/CT28,35,40, AAS/GR/83/CT28,35,40 (Ground Photograph). SAB32605.

Jan 1 1984 , AAS/GR/84/CT94-95, AAS/GR/84/CT94-95 (Ground Photograph). SAB32631.

Jan 1 1987 , AAS/GR/87/CT02, AAS/GR/87/CT02 (Ground Photograph). SAB32693.

Jan 1 1991 , AAS/GR/91/CT96, AAS/GR/91/CT96 (Ground Photograph). SAB32838.

Jan 1 1998 , AAS/GR/98/CT510-514, AAS/GR/98/CT510-514 (Ground Photograph). SAB33105.

Jun 24 1999 , AAS/99/07/CT2, AAS/99/07/CT2 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB17255.

Mar 17 2010 , DG1468-94, DG1468-94 (Ground Photograph). SAB13017.

Oct 2 1991 , LD 21, LD 21 (Ground Photograph). SAB33880.

Oct 9 1997 , AAS/97/12/CT111-112,114, AAS/97/12/CT111-112,114 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16846.

Oct 9 1997 , AAS/97/12/G26/5-7, AAS/97/12/G26/5-7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16845.

Record last edited

Apr 8 2026 12:52PM