Peel of Lumphanan

About

The Peel of Lumphanan, also known as the Peel Ring or Peel Bog of Lumphanan, is a defensive structure dating back to the 13th century. It is located near Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. The peel comprises a mound or motte, surrounded by two concentric ditches separated by a bank.

The outer earth bank is about 4 metres (13 ft) high, the inner ditch or moat is 15 metres (49 ft) across, and the central mound measures 37 by 45 metres (121 by 148 ft). The outer ditch was described as shallow in 1960, and is now difficult to discern. On the top of the mound are the remains of a 1-metre (3 ft 3 in) thick wall, and the foundations of a house measuring around 15 by 4 metres (49 by 13 ft).

The entrance was probably located to the west. The lower half of the motte consists of a natural mound; it was heightened when the castle was built. A motte on this site is thought to have been in existence at the time of the Battle of Lumphanan.

This battle was fought nearby in 1057, between King Macbeth and the future King Malcolm III. Macbeth was killed, and Macbeth's Stone, upon which he is said to have been beheaded, is located 300 metres (980 ft) to the south-west. The present mound was...