The Dark Age Hill Fort

The appearance of the hill-fort is shrouded in mystery because much of the archaeological evidence was destroyed during medieval times. This illustration conveys an impression, no more than that, of what we imagine might have been the scene about AD500. A mixture of large timber built round houses and straight-sided structures occupy the interior. A timber laced stone rampart defines and defends the hill fort.

The timber lacing caught fire and burnt with such intensity that the surrounding stonework melted, or vitrified. This firing happened about AD1000 and seems to mark the end of the hill-fort’s existence. It was about this date that the independence of the British Kingdom of Strathclyde ceased, being absorbed into the kingdom of Scotland.

The place name Dundonald means “Donald’s Fort”. We don’t know who Donald was but he may have been one of three kings of that name who ruled in Strathclyde in the 10th century.