Clubbiedean fort is an Iron Age structure situated on the South-west shore of Clubbiedean Loch (also known as Clubbiedean Reservoir), a few miles South-east of Easter Kinleith and Currie, on the Northern slopes of the Pentlands.
Clubbiedean Fort from the West
Click here for a location map provided by StreetMap. The following satellite image was provided by Google Earth:
Satellite Image Copyright © Google Earth
Clubbiedean fort has a basically ovoid plan, with a well-preserved set of two concentric ramparts with ditches, the ramparts being solidly constructed of earth and rocks, and with the gateway likely to be on the Southern side.
Clubbiedean Fort from the South, Showing the Likely Gateway
South-western Outer Rampart and Ditch, Looking North-west
The rampart defences encircle the Eastern, Southern and Western sides of the fort, with a lower rampart on the North, that side being defended by Clubbiedean Loch.
South-western Outer Rampart and Ditch, Looking South-east
South-western Outer Rampart and Ditch, Looking South-east
One reason for the good condition of the surviving ramparts and ditches is, no doubt, the relative isolation of the fort, a fair distance away from modern settlements, and although in a well-known farming area, the land is not arable in modern times - today, the field which holds the fort is generally populated by sheep.
South-western Inner Rampart and Modern Inhabitants
Southern Gateway and Modern Inhabitants
The primary damage which the site has suffered is due to the modern stone wall which demarcates the field boundary, cutting through the Northern side of the fort. Across this wall, though, the ramparts are still particularly visible on the East side in the woods which now sit on the banks of the loch.
Rampart Remains on the East, in the modern Woods, Looking East
Rampart Remains on the East, in the modern Woods, Looking West
Although there are no real traces of any internal structures as such, the double system of ramparts and ditches is very well-preserved, and for that reason alone, the site surely deserves more attention.
Few material finds have been made at Clubbiedean, but the site has received scant attention to date. However, around 1894, a broken stone axe of weathered felstone was found at the loch, which is now in the possession of NMS.
Three other sites are in the immediate vicinity of Clubbiedean Fort - a possible Roman enclosure on Warklaw Hill just to the North, and two unenclosed platform settlements on the South-west side of Capelaw Hill to the South-east. However, no serious archaeological investigations have been made to date. It is possible, though, that the sites on Capelaw had some connection to the site at Clubbiedean.