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Castlehill motte

Castlehill is a substantial motte which stands on the flood plain of the River Avon.

The motte is roughly oval in plan and measures around 61m west-north-west by east-south-east and around 46m north-north-east by south-south-west at the base. It rises to a height of around 4.6m and the flattened summit measures around 32m by 27m.

Across the top of the mound is a broad, shallow trench around 21m in length which is thought to be relatively modern and perhaps as a result of an unpublished excavation. To the south-west of the trench is a terraced area likely to have been constructed from the material removed from the trench.

The summit is littered with field clearance stones which makes it difficult to ascertain if any trace of buildings remains, however the summit appears to have been enclosed by a stone wall. In 1723 the motte was described as “an old fortification called Castlehill near to the house of Compstone where there are a great many vaults”.

This may have been the site of Old Compstone Castle which may have been superseded by a castle at Compston, a laird’s house around 300m to the north.

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Alternative names for Castlehill motte

Old Compstone Castle

Where is Castlehill motte?

Castlehill motte is in the parish of Muiravonside and the county of Stirlingshire.

Grid reference: NS 9575 7565

Lat / long: 55.96250800, -3.67153490

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Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Castlehill motte

OS map 349
Falkirk, Cumbernauld & Livingston (Linlithgow, Bathgate & Kilsyth)
OS Explorer map 349


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Directions to Castlehill motte

Enter a starting point

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Weather at Castlehill motte

12°C
max 12°C / min 11°C
2km/h W
1026mb
87%
0%
03:27 21:04

Clear sky
Weather observed at Polmont at 00:34

References (books)

Some aspects of early castle-building in Scotland
N.Q. Bogdan
St Andrews, 1979
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Canmore

Castles near Castlehill motte

Compston (possible) (site of)

0.3km away

Carribber Castle

1.0km away

Crownerland (site of)

1.0km away

Almond Castle

1.6km away

Lochcote Castle

2.6km away

Kipps House

3.5km away

Polmont (possible) (site of)

3.6km away

West Port House

4.1km away

Inveravon Castle

4.1km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Castlehill motte

Castlethorn standing stones

3.6km away

Gormyre standing stone

3.7km away

Castlethorn fort

3.7km away

Tantallen Hill (possible) (site of) souterrain

4.4km away

Gala Braes standing stones

6.6km away

Hopetoun Wood standing stone

12.3km away

Tappoch broch

15.5km away

Doghillock Farm (possible) standing stone

16.4km away

Huly Hill barrow and standing stones

16.8km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Castlehill motte

Hawkhill Class III cross-slab

17.9km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

26.9km away

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

29.2km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

30.1km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

30.1km away

Blackford Class I symbol stone

34.3km away

Old Kilmadock 2 Class I symbol stone

36.7km away

Old Kilmadock 1 Class II cross slab

36.7km away

East Lomond Hill Class I symbol stone

41.9km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Castlehill motte

Todholes (possible) silver chain

31.1km away

Borland silver chain

31.2km away

Norrie's Law hoard

55.2km away

Haddington silver chain

55.6km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

57.6km away

Whitlaw silver chain

60.5km away

Traprain Law silver chain

62.4km away

Hoardweel silver chain

84.2km away

Dunnicaer fort

143.4km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Castlehill motte

West Port
hotelLinlithgow
4.0km away
Metro Inns Falkirk
hotelPolmont
4.5km away
Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barPolmont
4.6km away
Premier Inn Falkirk East
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
5.0km away
Leapark Hotel
hotelGrangemouth
6.6km away
The Grange Manor
hotelGrangemouth
7.4km away
Hotel Cladhan
hotelFalkirk
7.7km away
Antonine Hotel
hotel, barFalkirk
8.0km away
Kaim Park Hotel
hotelBathgate
8.1km away
Premier Inn Livingston (Bathgate)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
8.4km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Castlehill motte

Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barPolmont
4.6km away
Premier Inn Falkirk East
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
5.0km away
Antonine Hotel
hotel, barFalkirk
8.0km away
Premier Inn Livingston (Bathgate)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
8.4km away
Best Western Park Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barFalkirk
8.9km away
Premier Inn Falkirk Central
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
9.4km away
Macdonald Houstoun House
hotel, restaurant, barUphall
10.4km away
Premier Inn Livingston (M8, Jct3)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
10.6km away
Best Western Hilcroft Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barWhitburn
10.6km away
Premier Inn Falkirk North
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
11.5km away
more food.... / more drink....

Related pages

Dirleton Castle in East Lothian
Dirleton Castle in East Lothian
Garden of Cosmic Speculation plus castles
Garden of Cosmic Speculation plus castles
Inveraray Castle and standing stone
Inveraray Castle and standing stone
A doocot, a castle and a beach in East Lothian
A doocot, a castle and a beach in East Lothian
A pair of castles on the River Tweed
A pair of castles on the River Tweed
Dunbar harbour and castle
Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 24th of January 2012 at 9:08 pm. Updated on the 12th of February 2022 at 7:25 am.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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