Excavation at Montfode Mount Motte, Ayrshire

Summary A two week excavation in two areas around the Scheduled Monument known as Montfode Mount confirmed the existence of the arcs of two outer concentric ditches noted on aerial photographs and an inner ditch at the base of the motte. There was no stratigraphical relationship between the outer ditches and the motte, and the excavation did not provide dating evidence for any of these features. While allowing for the fact that the outer ditches may be Medieval in date the excavator suggests that the ditches formed part of the defenses of a promontory fort of prehistoric date. In the light of recent work the interpretation of the mound as a motte is also discussed.