An Iron-Age archaeological site on Castle Knowe located on the southeastern slopes of Castlelaw Hill in the E of the Pentland Hills, the Castlelaw Hill Fort overlooks Penicuik, which lies 2 miles (3 km) to the south southeast. Beginning as a farming community within a wooden stockade around 500 BC, this stockade was subsequently replaced by several layers of fortification. Today, the remains of three earthen embankments and associated ditches are evident. In the 2nd century AD, when the fort had returned to a domestic rather than defensive role, an earth-house or souterrain was built in one of these ditches. This may have been a grain-store and it has been conjectured that the grain was collected for supply to the occupying Roman army. Visitors can walk through this souterrain which is now roofed with concrete into which sky-lights have been inserted.
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