Alternative Names The Barmkyn, Keig; Hill Of Airlie; Wood Of Northkeig
Site type CAIRN, FORT
Canmore ID 17701
Site Number NJ52SE 8
NGR NJ 5991 2004
Council ABERDEENSHIRE
Parish KEIG
Former Region GRAMPIAN
Former District GORDON
Former County ABERDEENSHIRE

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Archaeological Notes

NJ52SE 8 5991 2004.

(NJ 5991 2004) The Barmkyn (NR)
Fort (NR) Cairn (NR).
OS 6" map, (1959)

This stone fort crowns the broad flat summit of an isolated hill which overlooks the Howe of Alford from the N. It consists of an almost circular enclosure measuring 115ft (35m) by 110ft (33.5m) within two ruined walls, the inner the more ruinous. The slight remains of a cairn 25ft (7.6m) in diameter are the only feature visible in the interior.
R W Feachem 1963.

The Barmkyn, a bi-vallate fort,situated on a flattish hill-top. The inner rampart is barely visible as an occasional stone protruding through the heather, enclosing an area about 33.0m in diameter E-W, and 29.0m in diameter N-S. The outer rampart remains as a scatter of stones, c.5.0m broad and c.0.5m high, with the entrance 2.0m wide in the ESE. The cairn within the fort as described by Feachem (1963) is very low and overgrown.
Re-surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 15 September 1967.

Classified as Site of Regional Significance. altitude 280m OD. Bivallate fort; the inner rampart is barely visible as an occasional stone protruding through heather but the outer rampart remains as a scatter of stones with an entrance 2m wide in the ESE. Internal diameter 33m E-W by 29m N-S. A low overgrown cairn of diameter 7.6m lies within; otherwise, no features visible. [Air photographic imagery listed].
NMRS, MS/712/35.

This fort is situated on the summit of Hill of Airlie and, save for forest rides, it is completely enclosed within a conifer plantation that encroaches to the very edge of its defences. These comprise the remains a thick wall, now forming a mound of rubble some 8m in thickness by 1m in height with occasional inner and outer facing stones visible on the WNW and WSW respectively. The entrance is on the SE, opening into a roughly circular interior some 45m in diameter. This rises into a low summit, which is sharply defined by a stony scarp. The latter may be all that remains of a heavily robbed wall enclosing an area measuring about 31m from NW to SE by 25m transversely on the summit, and broken only by a gap some 4m wide on the SE.
The only other feature visible within the fort is a cairn measuring about 8m from ESE to WNW by 6.5m transversely and 0.2m in height; it is surmounted by a small marker cairn.
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS), 21 November 2000.

Scheduled as The Barmkyn, fort and cairn... a bivallate hillfort and a cairn of preghistoric date, visible as upstanding remains.
Informaton from Historic Scotlansd, scheduling document dated 18 October 2006.

Feachem, R (1963b) A guide to prehistoric Scotland, London
Page(s): 105 Held at RCAHMS E.2.FEA