Earthwork record MAB45422 - DEER DYKE

Deer Dyke and hunting park, consisting of an earthen bank enclosing an area of circa 5sq miles.

Deer Dyke and hunting park, consisting of an earthen bank enclosing an area of circa 5sq miles. The length of dyke is some 8 miles with a width of up to 45m, with external ditches 3.5m wide by 0.6m deep and internal ditches 2m wide. The maximum height is 1.5m. It was associated with Kincardine Castle. Said to have been constructed in the 10th Century for Kenneth III, who met his death at Fettercairn in AD 994. In the Exchequer Rolls in the 13th Century an entry is made for Alexander III for fencing 'a new park' at Kincardine, though it is unknown if this was an addition to the Deer Park or not. A wooden stockade probably stood on top of the bank to keep the deer within the hunting park. A stretch of park bank on its eastern side, close to Clatterin Brig was investigated by D Hall and K Malloy in 2010. Excavation of a trench across the bank showed this to be largely constructed of stone with earth upcast. The associated ditch was very shallow. A further two trenches were excavated in 2013 across different sections of bank and ditch. In one trench there was evidence for a palisade or fence line along the top of the bank, but no evidence for use of stone at this location.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No9(1963) 109 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

CAMERON, AC, 1899, HISTORY OF FETTERCAIRN, 68 (Bibliographic reference). SAB214.

GILBERT, 1979, HUNTING RESERVES IN MED SCOT, 82-5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB659.

O'SULLIVAN, J, 1994, DES ; MATTHEW'S TOP, FORESTRY SURVEY, 27 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1377.

DEER DYKE

O'SULLIVAN, J, 1994, FORESTRY SURVEY: MATTHEW'S TOP, KINCARDINE AND DEESIDE DISTRICT, 8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1371.

HALL, D, 2009, PROJECT DESIGN FOR LIMITED TRIAL EXCAVATIONS AT THREE MEDIEVAL DEER PARKS (Bibliographic reference). SAB4341.

HALL, D, 2010, EXCAVATIONS AT KINCARDINE DEER PARK, ABERDEENSHIRE (Bibliographic reference). SAB4342.

HALL, MALLOY AND ORAM., D, K, R, 2011, 'A HUNTING WE WILL GO?' STIRLING UNIVERSITY'S MEDIEVAL DEER PARKS PROJECT. IN TAFAJ 17 (2011) PP. 59-67, pp. 59-67 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4485.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2011, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 11, 2010, p.20 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5535.

HALL, D, 2013, ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AT KINCARDINE DEER PARK, ABERDEENSHIRE, 2013, Excav report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4419.

HALL, D, 2013, SCOTTISH MEDIEVAL DEER PARKS PROJECT: PROJECT DESIGN FOR KINCARDINE PARK, ABERDEENSHIRE, Project design (Bibliographic reference). SAB4421.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2014, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 14, 2013, p.22 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5483.

Feb 3 2011 , DG3086-97, DG3086-97 (Ground Photograph). SAB13149.

Jan 20 1981 , AAS/81/03/S1/18, AAS/81/03/S1/18 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15422.

Jan 20 1981 , AAS/81/03/S1/CN, AAS/81/03/S1/CN (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15423.

Jul 26 1989 , JC 1-13,17-19, JC 1-13,17-19 (Ground Photograph). SAB33700.

Author unknown, n.d., EXCHEQUER ROLLS OF SCOTLAND, (1878)1264-1359,21 (Bibliographic reference). SAB464.

RCAHMS, n.d., S KINC LIST, No275 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1512.

Record last edited

Apr 9 2026 10:41AM