Coulter Motte Hill

Little can be said about Coulter Motte. It’s certainly of medieval date, but because no archaeological excavation has taken place, there’s little else we know.

It’s possible the motte-castle was built by Flemish immigrants, who were invited by King Malcolm IV to settle in Upper Clydesdale in about 1160. These settlers would most likely have been sheep farmers.

However, there is motte just like this one only eight miles away. Excavations there concluded that it dated from the Wars of Independence with England, about 1300. It's therefore possible that Coulter also dates from this time.

The motte’s modest size indicates it would have been the residence of a minor landowner, or a fortification controlling a river crossing. There are larger motte-castles elsewhere that would have belonged to owners of a higher status.

But what we see today doesn't account for the whole castle. There would have been a bailey, or service court, attached. We also know that parts of the site have been removed or damaged at least twice.

When the Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway was built in 1860 it ran right beside the motte hill. The construction of Coulter Station resulted in the destruction of part of the site. The station closed in 1950 but you can still see the disused railway vidauct nearby.

In 1931, road contractors begin to remove the west side of the motte hill for sand and gravel. They stopped after the Ministry of Works asked them to ‘hold off’. Finally, Coulter Motte Hill was transferred into State care in 1932.