Field Visit

Date 20 April 2015 - 22 April 2015

Event ID 1103130

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1103130

Field visits were undertaken to various sites, 20–22 April 2015, as part of a general survey of forts on Skye carried out by Simon Wood and Ian Ralston as part of the fieldwork for the former’s PhD research.

NG 41080 51850 Dun Cruinn (Canmore ID: 11332) This is a multivallate fort overlain by a later dun occupying a rocky knoll on a large promontory stretching out into Loch Dun Neill, Skye Snizort Beag. A large earthen rampart with internal quarry ditch stretches around the base of the steep S and E sides, but is not apparent at the more gently sloping N side. It would make sense that this rampart, facing inland towards possible approach routes, along with the several large boulders arranged on the W side approaching the entrance, was more for display than practical defence. A small bank on the N side could be a continuation of this rampart, but as it lines up with field banks leading away from the fort to W and E it is probably later. The earthen rampart is overlain by scree from the fort wall at the top of the hill, suggesting that it is not later in date. On the summit, a straight internal bank running E/W, noted by the RCAHMS as contemporary with the fort or dun, may be another later field bank. The adjacent abandoned farming township has impacted the visible remains greatly and complicated interpretations of what could be in itself a complex and interesting site.

Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (intended)

Funder: School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh

Simon Wood and Ian Ralston – University of Edinburgh

(Source: DES, Volume 16)