east-lothian-1924/05-244

Transcription

YESTER.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [YESTER.

254. Hill Fort, Vitrified, Harelaw.-This fine
stone fort, a little over 1 1/4 miles south of Long
Yester, is built round the rocky summit at the
north-eastern end of Harelaw, a spur of the
Lammermuirs running in a north-easterly
direction into the angle formed by the junction
of the Harelaw Burn on the north and the
Soon Hope Burn, a small feeder from the
south. Rising to a height of almost 1250 feet
above sea-level it commands an uninterrupted
view of the country lying between the hills
and the Firth of Forth. The site is naturally
strong on all sides except towards the south-

[illustration inserted]
FIG. 185.-Harelaw (No. 254).

south-west, where there is a gentle ascent
from the outer defence ; to the north-north-
east there is a rocky escarpment crowning a
sharp declivity, while on the flanks the hill is
very steep. The plan (fig. 185) of the interior
of the fort is somewhat ear-shaped, being con-
tracted on the eastern side some 80 feet from
the narrow north-eastern end. The main axis
of the fort is north-east and south-west, and
the interior is 200 feet long and 86 feet broad
at its widest part about 43 feet from the south-
south-western extremity. While at the north-
eastern end, where there is a strong natural
defence in the rocky escarpment, only one
stone wall, 34 feet above the foot of the rocks,
has been considered necessary, round the flanks

149

and opposite end the defences are more elab-
orate. The inner area is enclosed by a stone
wall 4 feet thick and for the greater part rising
about 1 1/2 feet above the level of the ground on
which it is built. It is in a fairly good state of
preservation, except at the north-eastern end,
but part of the outer facing of the foun-
dation is in situ at the north-eastern corner.
The absence of an apparent entrance through
this defence, the lack of vegetation among
the stones, and the clearness of its outline
make it doubtful if this wall is as old as the
other defences. Springing from either side of
the rocks near the north-eastern end, a second
stone wall and two outer ramparts of earth
encircle the flanks and opposite end. Com-
mencing about 65 feet from the north-eastern
corner, and after allowing 10 feet for the
entrance, the second stone wall swings out
about other 20 feet and is carried in a gradually
diverging line round the fort, till it reaches
the rocks again on the north-west. At the
south-south-western end its centre is 19 feet
distant from the centre of the inner wall, and
at the entrance on the north-western flank
the distance is 12 feet, but beyond this to
the north-east it is lost in a tumbled mass of
stone. At the south-western corner there is
a quantity of vitrified stones showing masses
of molten matter up to 9 inches in diameter
lying on what seems to be the core of the wall;
while on the eastern side, where the ground has
recently been disturbed, the heart of the wall is
exposed, and its appearance suggests that the
footing had been continuously concreted by
vitrification. To the south of the north-western
entrance and on the eastern arc the outer
facing of the wall is seen for a few yards. This
has been a massive wall, as the rickle of stones
is as much as 30 feet in width in places ; large
stones are few, and the bulk of the material is
of the size of causeway stones, many of whch
are calcined About the middle of the north-
western flank the main entrance is clearly
defined by a shallow depression, 11 feet wide,
through the outer defences and outer stone wall,
and there is a suggestion of another entrance
approaching the base of the rocks towards the
north-east. Extending from the main entrance
till it dies on the northern slopes is a short
length of rampart with a ditch on either side ;
southwards two ramparts with ditches follow