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Barsalloch Fort

Above Barsalloch Point, Dumfries and Galloway
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Barsalloch Fort is a promontory fort on the edge of a cliff. It’s defended on three sides by a ditch 10m wide and 3.5m deep and an earthen rampart about 1m high on either side. The entrance to the D-shaped enclosure was to the north east.

The fort probably housed one or more large round houses for a single extended family.

Little is known about the Novantae people, and their only historical reference is a brief mention in Ptolemy's Geography. The nearby Rispain Camp was also likely a Novantae farmstead.

Oblique aerial view of Barsalloch Fort highlighting its elevated position on a grassy headland. The fort’s D-shaped earthwork enclosure is clearly visible, with steep slopes dropping toward the coastline. Green fields and distant hills stretch inland under bright sunlight.

Statement of Significance

You can find out more about the Barsalloch Fort in our Statement of Significance, part of a series of special documents outlining the history and development of Historic Scotland sites.

Read more
Aerial view of Barsalloch Fort showing its D-shaped earthwork enclosure on a grassy slope above a coastal road. The fort overlooks a pebble beach and calm sea, with green fields and rolling hills extending inland under soft daylight.

Discover more on trove.scot

See archive photographs of Barsalloch Fort, plus archaeology notes and more on trove.scot. 

Barsalloch Fort on trove.scot