Field Visit
Date 9 June 1921
Event ID 1104644
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1104644
Dun Borrafiach, Vaternish.
About 1 5/8 miles north-north-east of Trumpan church, on the western slope of Beinn a Ghobhainn, overlooking the Little Minch with the islands of Harris and North Uist in the distance, at an elevation of over 400 feet above sea level, are the ruins of a broch, Dun Borrafiach. It is built on a slight rocky knowe in a hollow in the hillside, sheltered by quickly rising ground on the north and east, while on the west there is a gentle slope terminating about 600 yards distant on the edge of the cliff, which rises direct from the sea to a height of 200 feet over a length of more than 2 miles. (Fig. 207.)
The wall of the broch remains standing on the outside to a general height of 6 to 10 feet, except on the north-east and at the entrance on the north-west, where it is lower. Some of the blocks on the outside are of considerable size, one stone being noticeable, which measures 3 feet in length and 2 feet 9 inches in height. The wall face shows the usual inward batter. The interior of the building contains a great mass of fallen stones from 4 to 8 feet in depth, which almost obscures the inner wall. The building is circular, the internal diameter measuring 32 feet 9 inches, and the wall is from 10 feet 9 inches to 13 feet 4 inches thick. The entrance is to a great extent obscured with dislodged stones, but at the outside it measures 2 feet 9 inches in width, and has widened towards the interior. On the north-east, at a height of about 13 feet above the outside foundation, a gallery can be detected. Judging from its height it seems to have been part of an upper gallery. It is 3 feet wide with an inner wall 2 feet 8 inches in thickness and an outer 5 feet.
RCAHMS 1928, visited 9 June 1921.
OS map: Skye ix.
