Droughdool Mote

About

Droughdool Mote (also spelled Droughduil) (grid reference NX 14823 56865) is a Neolithic round mound in the parish of Old Luce, Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway. The mound is oval in plan, measuring 60m by 50m at its base and rises to 10m in height. It is located 400m south of the late neolithic palisaded enclosure at Dunragit.

It has been suggested that the mound may have been used as a viewing platform for activities at Dunragit complex of monuments. The most well known parallel the site has is Silbury Hill in Wiltshire, but is closer in size to the less well known sites at Conquer Barrow, Willy Howe and Wold Newton. The mound was originally built with stepped sides on top of a sand dune.

Excavation between 1999-2002 revealed a round cairn at the top of the mound, similar to the nearby Mid Gleniron A. The mound was assumed to be a medieval mote for a castle, but is different in structure and location to the motes in the surrounding area. In 2002, excavation and optically stimulated luminescence dating showed that the site was prehistoric, and probably placed within a date bracket associated with the Dunragit complex of monuments to the north.

The site is still classified as a...