title: Giant's Castle, Isles of Scilly
text: # Giant's Castle, Isles of Scilly
  
  The Giant's Castle is a promontory fort of the Iron Age, on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, England. It is a scheduled monument.
  
  ## Description
  
  The fort is situated in the south-east of St Mary's, near St Mary's Airport and on the edge of Salakee Down. The rocky promontory, area 0.4 hectares (1 acre), is defended by sea cliffs, 15 to 25 metres (49 to 82 ft) high, on the east, south and south-west sides. To the north there are three banks and ditches, 8 to 12 metres (26 to 39 ft) apart; these occupy most of the steep northern slope linking the promontory to the mainland. The castle, on almost level ground within the promontory, has an internal area of about 25 by 20 metres (82 by 66 ft).
  
  During the Second World War, a practice firing target for military aircraft was made in the western end of the outermost rampart. This survives as an unroofed rectangular structure up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) high. Fragments of early Iron Age pottery were recovered from cuttings made by the army.
  
  