For a long time Droughduil Mote was thought to be the earth mound of a 12th-century castle. However, excavation has now shown that it was built at the same time as the nearby prehistoric monument.
The fields between the mound and Dunragit village contain one of the most important Stone Age sites in Scotland. Nothing can now be seen above ground but recent aerial photography and archaeological excavation has revealed the remains of three massive concentric timber circles; the outer circle was 300m in diameter, almost six times the size of Stonehenge. Built around 2500 BC, this huge monument was a ceremonial centre and a meeting place for south-west Scotland's early farming communities.
