# Castle Law

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Castle_Law
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Castle_Law.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Law
> Source revision: 1355625244
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

This article is about the hill in the Pentland Hills, Scotland. For the hill fort in the Ochil Hills, see [Dumyat](/source/Dumyat). For the legal concept, see [Castle doctrine](/source/Castle_doctrine).

**Castle Law** is a hill south west of [Fairmilehead](/source/Fairmilehead) in the [Pentland Hills](/source/Pentland_Hills) in [Midlothian](/source/Midlothian), [Scotland](/source/Scotland).

It is best known for the [Iron Age](/source/Iron_Age) [hill fort](/source/Hill_fort) on its slopes.

## The Castlelaw Hill Fort

The Castlelaw Hill Fort is the remnant of a stronghold of the Iron Age. When it was occupied the site consisted of three [earthwork](/source/Earthwork_(archaeology)) [ramparts](/source/Defensive_wall), [ditches](/source/Ditch_(fortification)) and timber [palisades](/source/Palisade). The fort contained a [Souterrain](/source/Souterrain) for the storage of agricultural produce.[1] [V. Gordon Childe](/source/V._Gordon_Childe) undertook excavations at Castlelaw in 1932–33. The work focused on the rampart, and showed that it consisted of a clay and timber filling, faced by stone.[2]

The fort commands views over the [Forth](/source/Firth_of_Forth) and [Lothian](/source/Lothian). [Traprain Law](/source/Traprain_Law) and [Berwick Law](/source/North_Berwick_Law), both significant centres of power in the Iron Age, are visible from the site.

The fort is maintained by [Historic Environment Scotland](/source/Historic_Environment_Scotland) as a [scheduled monument](/source/Scheduled_monument).[3]

Access to the site is free but, since the area is an active sheep pasture, dogs should be kept under control. The site also neighbours an [army](/source/British_Army) firing range and so care should be taken not to pass into the area marked by red flags.

## References

1. [The site as described by Historic Scotland.](http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertydetail.htm?PropID=PL_062&PropName=Castlelaw%20Hill%20Fort)

1. Archaeology Scotland (January 1949), ["Discovery and Excavation in Scotland"](http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-753-1/dissemination/pdf/1940/1949_prt3.pdf), Archaeology Data Service, p. 9, [doi:10.5284/1000284](https://doi.org/10.5284/1000284)

## External links

- ["Pentland Hills Regional Park - Archaeology"](http://www.pentlandhills.org/info/3/about_the_park/6/the_pentland_hills_an_introduction/). Introduction. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120517092238/http://www.pentlandhills.org/) May 17, 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
- ["Castle Law, Glencorse"](https://canmore.org.uk/site/51871/castle-law-glencorse). *Canmore*. Historic Environment Scotland.
- ["Castle Law"](http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=7696). *Megalithic Portal*
- ["Castle Law Excavations Have Begun"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170912122925/http://abernethy.aocarchaeology.com/2017/06/29/castle-law-excavations-have-begun/). *AOC Archaeology*. June 29, 2017. Archived from [the original](http://abernethy.aocarchaeology.com/2017/06/29/castle-law-excavations-have-begun/) on September 12, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Castle Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Law) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Law?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.