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Field Visit
Date 30 September 1909
Event ID 1095784
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1095784
29. Fort, Duchary Rock. From Kilmain, a crofter township 2 m. W. of Brora, an old peat road leads NW. into the deer forest for nearly 2 m. To the K of this road near its termination rises abruptly a massive rock, precipitous on the E. and W., with a steep slope at the S. end, and a comparatively easy approach from the NW. It bears the name of the Duchary Rock. The level summit, where not defended by nature, has been strongly fortified by a wall. This wall at the N. or NW. end is 12' in thickness, in places 3' high, and well built of flat stones. It is pierced towards the NW. by an entrance passage 6' wide between the faces of the. opposing walls. The wall forming the W. side of the entrance passage is faced with two large fiat slabs apparently in situ. Some 14' outside the wall at this entrance are the foundations of an outer wall some 7' thick seeming to run from a point on the main wall about 10' E. of the opening and to meet it again at the edge of the steep slope 80' or 100' to westward, thus covering the entrance. Between the steep cliffs at the S. end is another wall some 70' in length and 10' thick through which is an entrance 4' wide. On the W. side of it is an indication of a chamber in the wall. The total length of the interior is some 260 yards, and the average width about 60 yards. The immense mass of debris indicates that the height of the walls was considerable.
Some 30' below the outer wall at the SE. is a natural rock shelter, the covered area measuring about 12' x 17'.
In the rocks facing eastwards some 100 yards NE. of the NW. entrance under a large rock is the entrance to an underground passage apparently natural. At its commencement it is about 2' wide and 3' high. It passes inwards in a southerly direction for about 13', then, turning sharply to the right, runs onward for 18' or 20' further with a width of some 15".
OS 6-inch map: Sutherland Sheet xcvii. (unnoted).
RCAHMS 1911, visited (AOC) 30th September 1909.
