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Archaeology Notes
Date - 1971
Event ID 657709
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Archaeology Notes
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/657709
NG35NE 6 3801 5976.
(NG 3801 5976) Dun Borve (NR)
OS 6"map, (1968)
The much dilapidated remains of Dun Borve are situated on the summit of a rocky hillock rising from 25'- 30' above the surroundings. It measures internally 90' N-S along the main axis and 33' across, and has been defended by a stone wall built on the edge of the escarpment. The inner face is totally destroyed or concealed under debris, but a wall thickness of 9' is suggested round the W flank and a greatest thickness of 13' shows in the middle of the E flank at the entrance which is 3' 2" wide. An outer wall leaves the main wall 28' N of the entrance and curves S on a lower level and seemingly rises up the steep side of a rocky continuation of the fort level, over which it runs parallel to the main walls and returns to meet it at its S extremity. This wall, about 8' thick, encloses an area of the E of the fort about 93' in length and 28' at its widest. This enclosures was from the E directly opposite the fort entrance, and it may have been subdivided by a thinner traverse wall on its high level in the S.
In the interior of the fort opposite the entrance is the trace of a hut circle 19' in diameter internally, impinging on the W arc and situated in a shallow trench excavated across the ridge about 1' below natural level. About 12' N of the entrance abutting on the interior of the wall is a small hut circle 6' in diameter internally.
(RCAHMS 1928, visited 1921).
Dun Borve is as described by the RCAHMS. Adjoining the E side of the dun are a number of enclosures of a simlar nature to the "low level" enclosure, but the presence of a ruined house within one of the enclosures to the SE makes association doubtful.
Visited by OS (C F W) 2 May 1961.
Dun Borve, a dun generally as described and planned by the RCAHMS, except that the outer face of the outwork continues N to join the main dun wall at the NE corner. The entrance is 1.6m wide towards the inner end but the outer end is confused by debris. The larger hut circle described by the RCAHMS survives as a rickle of stones around the edge of a hollow, c. 6.0m in diameter. There are no obvious facing stones, but the rickle of stones appears to be the remains of a wall c. 1.0m thick, probably constituting the remains of a hut. It is not certain, but it appears to impinge on the dun wall rather than overlie it. Only excavation will determine if it is contemporary with the dun or later. The alleged hut 12' N of the entrance is not a hut and may be a later structure or simply scattered debris from the dun wall. The enclosures mentioned by previous OS field surveyor, to the E are contemporary with a depopulated steading.
Visited by OS (R L) 30 September 1971.
