Archaeology Notes

Event ID 655502

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/655502

NF60NE 3 6954 0810

(NF 6954 0810) Dun Scurrival (OE)

OS 6" map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1903).

Classified as a dun by Young (A Young 1958), who described it as sub-circular with estimated internal measurements 50ft by 39ft; its walling built up (it was torn down when visited earlier by the RCAHMS), with galleries apparent, and having an extra outer wall traceable on its north side, and the boulder footings of another across the neck of the promontory on which it stands. In 1947 Scott called the latter wall 'impressive' and noted 'accessory buildings' on a terrace between it and the dun; also a curtain wall along a ramped ascent which slopes up to and across the terrace to enter the broch (sic) at the NE.

Pottery sherds and one artifacts from the site have been equated with finds from Dun Cuier (A Young 1958) (4th-7th c. AD - NF60SE 1 ) and Tebbutt notes a shell-midden with pottery (unspecified) inside and outside the walls.

RCAHMS 1928; L Scott 1947; A Young 1958; Information from C F Tebbutt, 1959; A Young 1964.

Dun Scurrival, a galleried dun, is generally as described by previous authorities. It survives to a maximum height of 2.6m in the E. The interior is obscured by tumble but two courses of the inner face, topped by a scarcement, can be seen on the west side, and a small circular structure, 3.6m in diameter, has been built against the inner wall in the NE sector.

The outer curtain wall, noted by Scott and Young, is visible as a grass-grown stony bank, 0.8m high, incorporating naturaly rock outcrop, and runs from the west end of the dun along its N edge for about 26.0m. The wall on the east side, running across the neck of the promontory, is much obscured by debris and is scarcely traceable. The 'accessory buildings' are no longer visible.

Immediately south of the dun there are the footings of several oval and circular shielings constructed from the tumble, and in the area to the

S and E of these there are lazy beds.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (R B), 26 May 1965.

Iron Age sherds and a fragment of a polished stone axe from Dun Scurrival were donated to the NMAS in 1977-8 by Miss M Harman, Ewhurst, Sussex.

Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1980.

E16: Roughly triangular in shape, about 21 by 14m; walls 1.5m high.

NMRS, MS/595/10.