Dumbarton Hilllfort

Trip No.9  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Hillfort Country: Scotland (West Dunbartonshire)
Visited: Yes on 6th Oct 2018. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Alt Clut :

The Rock has been used since at least the Bronze age, and likely before, although due it's continued use for the last 2 millennia not many artifacts remain.
There is currently a small patch of land at the front of the Rock, suitable in the past for small time farming, but l don't know how long it has been like this for. The Rock itself, is surrounded on all sides by steep jagged cliffs, with defensive walls built on the South side of the Nether Bailey (lower settlement ; 9m) & Northside of the Over Bailey (upper settlement ; 44~64m)

The main entrance (which was used as a back gate during medieval times) is on the lower level 'Nether Bailey' and is 9m above sea level. Here is a small flat area which in the past would have been suitable for at least a handful of hut circles or similar type dwellings.
From here you climb around 50 or so stairs between a cleft that splits Dumbarton Rock into it's two parts ; the taller Western side named 'Tower Crag' (74m) & the Eastern 'Beak' (69m) and come out onto a flat Plateau about 44m above sea level.
This flat piece of land is about 80m x 15m, and halfway down it's length is a well, how long it has been here no one knows, but it has been there for at least 1,300 years.

A high cliff face provides protection from Westerly winds and this was the main settlement on the rock.

From the Over Bailey there is a small winding path up to more flat land and after more steps you arrive at the peak of the Beak which now houses a Cannon Powder Magazine, but in the past l can imagine this possibly being the spot where the Chieftain would have had his home as it is the prime location of Alt Clut.
Going back down to Over Bailey there are now steps connecting the Beak to the taller Tower Crag, which in all honesty is only good for being a lookout point, which is exactly what it was used for as far as we can tell.
You climb the steep steps (l dont envy our ancestor's trying to ascend this without the use of steps and a railing, they would have had to have climbed at first, then use ropes, then ladders and eventually hundreds of years later, these stairs)
Once at the top the views are stunning, you can see the Firth of Clyde and the Cowal Mountains to the West, Ben Lomond and the Highlands to the North and as far as Glasgow to the East. The abundance of hillforts in the local area would mean sending smoke signals between each hillfort would have been easy and a good way of warning neighbors of potential dangers.
The location of Carman Hillfort is visible 5.5km to the NE on Carman Hill, this is thought by some archaeologist's to have been a small Damnonii Oppidium during Roman occupation, and when the Romans left Caledonia, the descendant's of this Damnonii tribe re-took control over Alt Clut and became known to historians as Britons.

*Getting There ; Less than a fifteen minute walk from the train station.

Come out the train station onto the A814/Glasgow road and you'll see the Stags Head Pub across the street.
Cross over and walk West for 170m taking your 2nd left into Victoria St.
(Which changes name to Castle Road after the small roundabout halfway down the street) continue South for 840m and thats it. Really easy to get to. Entrance fee's apply but once in you can stay as long as you want.