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Publication Account

Date 2007

Event ID 586796

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/586796

NC66 2 SANDY DUN ('Ca an Duin', 'Baile Mhargait')

NC/6973 6097

This unexcavated probable broch in Farr, Sutherland, stands on an extremely high and steep conical hill overlooking the west side of the sandy estuary of the river Naver (visited 9/7/63 and in 1985 - in the latter year the site was only photographed from a distance). The site is 68.5m (225ft) above the sea but it is full of wind-blown sand which obscures many structural details. There are many traces of enclosures, hut circles and cairns on the Invernaver raised beach to the east [7].

The Commission saw the entrance on the south-west sidein 1909 but this is not now clear; Swanson places it on the north-west because of a gap in the wall debris and because of an apparently in situ lintel at its outer end [7]. A ledge-type scarcement about 23cm (9in) wide was visible in 1963 on the inner wallface on the west side but Swanson says that, by June 1985, some rebuilding had been done in the interior and the scarcement had been largely concealed by freshly laid stonework [7].

At 12 o'clock there is another doorway into the wall from the interior which has been completely filled by the reconstruction work, its position being traceable by a vertical slab in the middle of the wall which is presumably part of its side [7, plan]. This is likely to be above scarcement level (though Swanson does not specify this) and therefore to lead to some feature in level 2, perhaps an upper gallery; there is a possible gallery face just anti-clockwise from this [7, plan]. Alternatively it might be part of the doorway to a stair or intra-mural cell [7].

The position of the site is almost impregnable with steep slopes falling away in all directions except along the ridge towards the sea. Young classes the site as a dun but there is no reason to distinguish it from the other ruined brochs in the vicinity. The wall of this 'tower' was apparently 2.44-3.05m (8-10ft) high in 1867 [2]. There are traces of a wide natural ditch on the west side [1], where the easiest approach is made, across a low saddle.

Mercer classes the site as a “fortlice broch”, one of a small number built in exceptionally strong positions and which seem therefore not to be as closely linked with farmland as most.

Dimensions

The outer wallface is obscured but the measurements made in 1909indicated a wall thickness of 3.66m (12ft). The internal diameter is 9.67m (29ft) and the external one must be about 16.2m (53ft) if the wall is 3.66m (12ft) thick all round: if so the wall proportion would be about 45.5%. Swanson gives the internal diameter as 8.2m north/south so the Commission was probably measuring above scarcement level. If so the wall proportion is about 49.5%.

Sources: 1. NMRS site no. NC 66 SE 2: 2. Horsburgh 1868, 272 and 274: 3. Mackay 1906, 132: 4. RCAHMS 1911a, 61, no. 184: 5. Young 1962, 188-89: 6. Mercer 1981, 20-21 and 107, no. 7: 7. Swanson (ms) 1985, 709-12 and plan.

E W MacKie 2007

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