Deer traps are located to make use of natural features, such as cliff edges and gullies. Dykes or high banks, sometimes with an associated ditch, were constructed to create a funnel-shaped area so that deer could be driven into the space and killed. These traps are not common but occur across the country, with examples ranging from the island of Rum to Liddesdale in the Scottish Borders.
The deer trap at Hermitage Castle is defined by the two converging ditches in the rough grazing just outside the walled enclosure surrounding the castle. Noted on historical and current OS maps, and in aerial photographs, Canmore and its associated archives may contain further information.
HES SC592878
