Monument record MAB9970 - TAP O'NOTH FORT

Remains of an impressive hillfort.

Remains of an impressive hillfort. At 563 m above sea level this is the second highest in Scotland after Griam Beg in Sutherland. Two defensive episodes have been identified. The larger, lower enclosure covers a massive 21 hectares with an outwork, a stony wall with a core of boulders, running round the break of slope on all but the steeper southeast side. There are at least 800 platform sites within this enclosure, as well as substantial tracks. The platforms are most numerous on northeast and northwest sides with a few larger ones on the more southerly slopes. Some of these may be quarries, at least near the upper fort. The upper fort consists of a massive stone wall, 6-8 m wide and up to 5 m high, that has been vitrified extremely heavily in places, enclosing a rectangular area. A large cistern in the interior is circa 2.2 m deep. In 1886 MacDonald excavated a section of the upper fort's wall but did not find anything. In 1997, within the upper fort, traces of a previously unrecorded enclosure formed by two concentric banks with a ditch were noted. The banks are circa 2 m wide by 0.5 m high with ditch circa 2 m wide. The bank to the east appears to run under the vitrified fort wall. Also two possible hut circles lie within the northern part of the later upper fort, circa 8m and 5m in diameter respectively. Aerial laser scanning of the fort was carried out in 2015 by FCS and University of Aberdeen. An evaluative excavation in the interior was carried out by University of Aberdeen (G. Noble) in 2017 and 2018. This clarified the structural elements of the interior banks, and the inner vitrified wall and contributed to understanding of how the wall had collapsed and been subject to antiquarian intervention and stone robbing over time. No definite structures or material evidence was uncovered in the interior area explored by the trench. Artefacts recovered included several flint flakes and modern bottle glass. Radiocarbon dates suggest activity for the construction and occupation of this upper fort to be between 5th Century BC and 1st Century BC. Three glass beads, three Roman sherds and a bronze terret were found near this lower enclosure. Further excavation in August 2019 by University of Aberdeen targeted the lower fort enclosure and two hut platforms within the interior. Trench 5 excavated one platform near the fort walls, and identified a spread of tumble from the vitrified fort overlying an occupation layer on the platform. Charcoal and a piece of wheel-thrown pottery were recovered and two samples from limited sondages through the upper occupation layers gave dates in the 5th-6th centuries. Trench 6 investigated a second platform mid-way down the hill. An arc of possible postholes was recorded around the edge of the built platform, probably for the outer wall of a building which contained a multi-phase hearth within a series of deposits, some of which produced imported Roman pottery. The lower hearth was larger and contained burnt animal bone, the smaller upper one containing evidence of metal working including crucible fragments, pieces of clay mould and several fragments of Roman pottery. Six radiocarbon dates from postholes and hearths returned 3rd -6th century dates. A larger trench was excavated across the terminal of an entrance to the lower enclosure, uncovering a roughly built stone bank., a collapsed kerb of upright stones confirming this as an original entrance. Radiocarbon samples yielded 3rd to 6th century dates, dating the lower fort to the end of the Later Iron Age/beginning of the medieval period. Examination of Lidar data and photogrammetry surveys has identified up to 808 possible hut platforms densely packed within the lower fort, with two main concentrations, on the northeast side of the hill, the second more evenly spread on the western side of the fort. Most platforms are between 4 m and 8 m in diameter. Trench 5 was revisited in 2021: two sondages revealed and sampled the floor layer which included deposits of animal bone and a pottery sherd, and a central hearth. Subsequent extension of the trench fully exposed the hearth and floor layer, revealing the structure to be oval/sub-circular measuring circa 6.8 m by 8.5 m. Finds (concentrated on the downslope side) included numerous sherds of hand-coiled pottery and two sherds of late Roman amphorae, a fragment of small copper-alloy projecting ring-headed pin, lump of iron, and a nail or fitting. Site visit by Radco in 2025 noted vitrified stones on the surface of the southeast wall and also visible below loose rubble.

AB 4804 (1943), AB 4804 (1943) (Ground Photograph). SAB13001.

MACDONALD, J, 1891, PLACE NAMES IN/OF STRATHBOGIE, 35-51 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1138.

YOUNG, HW, 1896, RELIQU & ILLUS ARCH No2, 86-93 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2139.

KILBRIDE-JONES, HE, 1935, PSAS 69(1934-5) 448, 448-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB981.

COTTON, MA, 1954, ARCH JOURNAL III, 82 (Bibliographic reference). SAB259.

FEACHEM, RW, 1963, PREHISTORIC SCOTLAND, 105 (Bibliographic reference). SAB503.

FEACHEM, RW, 1966, IRON AGE IN NORTHERN BRITAIN, 448-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB504.

SHEPHERD, IAG, 1979, EARLY GRAMPIAN, No40 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1636.

JOBEY, G, 1980, SAF 10, FIG 5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB894.

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

RALSTON, IBM, 1982, DES,11,13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1540.

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

RALSTON, IBM, 1983, SETTLE IN N BRIT 1000BC-1000AD, 157-8,166 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1493.

SHEPHERD, IAG, 1985, BASG (Bibliographic reference). SAB1639.

SHEPHERD, I, 1996, ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED), p.146 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4829.

Strachan, R, 1997, DES, p11, 11 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3275.

NOBLE, G, 2017, TAP O'NOTH 2017: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, Evaluation report (Bibliographic reference). SAB3023.

NOBLE, G, 2018, TAP O'NOTH 2018: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, Evaluation report (Bibliographic reference). SAB3004.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2019, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 19, 2018, p. 20 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6524.

NOBLE, G, 2019, EXCAVATIONS AT TAP O'NOTH 2019 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3025.

NOBLE, G, 2021, EXCAVATIONS AT TAP O'NOTH 2021. EXTENSION OF T5 FROM 2019 EXCAVATIONS: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB3029.

RADCO, 2025, ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT: 'ICE TO FIRE: TAP O'NOTH'S ANCIENT SECRETS (Bibliographic reference). SAB3212.

Aug 9 1977 , AAS/77/11/SO/18-22, AAS/77/11/SO/18-22 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12741.

Aug 11 1984 , AAS/84/12-13/R25(2)5-14, AAS/84/12-13/R25(2)5-14 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12745.

Aug 22 1978 , AAS/78/9/CT24,29,41,45, AAS/78/9/CT24,29,41,45 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18785.

Feb 16 1985 , AAS/85/02/R4(1)/13, AAS/85/02/R4(1)/13 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12747.

Feb 27 1996 , AAS/96/01/CT1-3, AAS/96/01/CT1-3 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19668.

Feb 27 1996 , AAS/96/01/G2/12-16, AAS/96/01/G2/12-16 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16280.

Jan 1 1978 , AAS/GR/78/CT75, 80-81, AAS/GR/78/CT75, 80-81 (Ground Photograph). SAB32530.

Jan 1 1978 , AAS/GR/78/CT86-87, 92-93, AAS/GR/78/CT86-87, 92-93 (Ground Photograph). SAB32531.

Jan 1 1978 , AAS/GR/78/CT96, AAS/GR/78/CT96 (Ground Photograph). SAB33064.

Jan 1 1983 , AAS/GR/83/CT72-75,78-81, AAS/GR/83/CT72-75,78-81 (Ground Photograph). SAB32608.

Jan 1 1983 , AAS/GR/83/CT84-87,90-92, AAS/GR/83/CT84-87,90-92 (Ground Photograph). SAB32609.

Jan 22 1981 , AAS/81/3/CT48-9,51,55, AAS/81/3/CT48-9,51,55 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18847.

Jan 22 1981 , AAS/81/3/S4/3-7, AAS/81/3/S4/3-7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18846.

Jan 24 2000 , AAS/00/02/CT53-61, AAS/00/02/CT53-61 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12265.

Jan 24 2000 , AAS/00/02/G4/5-8, AAS/00/02/G4/5-8 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12264.

Jul 2 2009 , AAS/09/1/DG0591,593-610, AAS/09/1/DG0591,593-610 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB20402.

Jul 10 1969 , Nisbet AP 153,7-9;160-1, Nisbet AP 153,7-9;160-1 (Ground Photograph). SAB13002.

Jul 14 2008 , AAS/08/02/DG9414-29, AAS/08/02/DG9414-29 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB20401.

Jul 14 2014 , AAS-GR-14-07-220 - 233, AAS-GR-14-07-220 - 233 (Ground Photograph). SAB35366.

Jul 15 1958 , XD 47-61, XD 47-61 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12739.

Jul 16 1992 , AAS/92/04/G2/1-4, AAS/92/04/G2/1-4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13859.

Jul 17 2000 , GR/00/CT238, GR/00/CT238 (Ground Photograph). SAB37050.

Jul 22 1982 , AAS/82/14/R17/12, AAS/82/14/R17/12 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12748.

Jul 23 1962 , AGK 95-98, AGK 95-98 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12749.

Jul 25 1964 , AKG 85-90, AKG 85-90 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12750.

Jul 28 1972 , BKG 15-18, BKG 15-18 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12752.

Jul 29 1984 , AAS/84/07-08/R19(1)12-16, AAS/84/07-08/R19(1)12-16 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12744.

Jul 31 1969 , AZL 44-47, AZL 44-47 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12751.

Jun 3 1997 , AAS/97/06/CT60, AAS/97/06/CT60 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16733.

Jun 3 1997 , AAS/97/06/G12/12, AAS/97/06/G12/12 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16730.

Jun 6 1983 , AAS/83/01/R2/1-3, AAS/83/01/R2/1-3 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12743.

Mar 3 1986 , AAS/86/02/CT12,18,24-5, AAS/86/02/CT12,18,24-5 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19830.

Mar 3 1986 , AAS/86/02/CT28-30, AAS/86/02/CT28-30 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19833.

Mar 9 1998 , AAS/98/03/CT, AAS/98/03/CT (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16930.

Mar 9 1998 , AAS/98/03/G5/16-17, AAS/98/03/G5/16-17 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16941.

May 8 2000 , D 69191-2,6-7 CN, D 69191-2,6-7 CN (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13004.

May 8 2000 , D 69208 CN, D 69208 CN (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13005.

May 8 2000 , D 69211-12,14-15 CN, D 69211-12,14-15 CN (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13006.

May 23 1986 , FX 6-9, FX 6-9 (Ground Photograph). SAB12740.

Nov 14 2025 , PUB-AP-25-11-001 - 006, PUB-AP-25-11-001 - 006 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB37294.

Nov 25 1981 , AAS/81/12/CT4,6,25, AAS/81/12/CT4,6,25 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18706.

Nov 25 1981 , AAS/81/12/S13/18, AAS/81/12/S13/18 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12742.

Nov 25 1996 , AAS/96/18/CT1-3,5-10,14, AAS/96/18/CT1-3,5-10,14 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16542.

Nov 25 1996 , AAS/96/18/CT17, 23, AAS/96/18/CT17, 23 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19691.

Nov 25 1996 , AAS/96/18/G44/17-22, AAS/96/18/G44/17-22 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16541.

Oct 26 1998 , D 36317-9 CN, D 36317-9 CN (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13003.

Sep 6 1984 , AAS/84/14/S7/21/2-9, AAS/84/14/S7/21/2-9 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12746.

Sep 20 2016 , AAS-GR-16-09-189 - 192, AAS-GR-16-09-189 - 192 (Ground Photograph). SAB35523.

Record last edited

Apr 7 2026 10:41AM