Field Visit

Date 2 June 1921

Event ID 1105059

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1105059

RCAHMS Inventory: Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles.

Dun Vallerain, Digg.

Overlooking the township of Digg from the north-west is a somewhat conical hill rising to a height of over 500 feet above sea-level, with a very steep gradient from all sides. From the north-west to the south-east the slopes are surmounted by cliffs from 20 to 50 feet in height. The summit, which falls towards the north-east, is attained by a winding grassy path up a steep slope from the same direction, rising from the edge of a lochan among the hills. The fortified area, which is of irregular plan, measures 140 feet from north-west to south-east and 63 feet from north-east to south-west, and is defended on the east by a much dilapidated wall 17 feet thick at the entrance following the contour of the hill, short sections of the outer face showing four or five courses of masonry in position. Through this wall the entrance, 5 feet wide, leads into a large hollow on the summit. Round the remainder of the perimeter, which is for the most part precipitous, there are no traces of even a parapet. In front of the entrance there is a quadrangular area enclosed by two stone walls greatly destroyed but probably about 5 feet thick, which spring from the precipice on either side of the summit and converge about 80 feet from the inner gateway; the outer entrance to the dun lies at the point where these walls meet.

RCAHMS 1928, visited 2 June 1921

OS map: Skye iv.