Archaeology Notes

Event ID 673179

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/673179

NM15NE 2 1718 5815.

An Caisteal - the slight remains of a fort.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (R L) 22 June 1972.

(NM 1718 5815) An Caisteal (NAT) Fort (NR) (remains of)

OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)

Fort, An Caisteal: Some traces of a fort, known locally as An Caisteal, are visible on an isolated rocky boss which rises to a height of about 12m above the surrounding land, 300m WNW of Ballyhaugh farmhouse. On three sides the cliffs fall away sheer for as much as 12m; the top of the boss is , however, accessible from the N over a natural terrace and thence by means of a narrow sloping shelf which ascends round the end of a low rock-face and along the edge of the cliff on the NW.

On the N and E the main wall (A on plan) occupied the crest of an upper terrace, but in the S half of the perimeter it followed the line of the cliff edge, linking rock outcrops. The area enclosed measured 29m from NW to SE by 26m transversely, but only a small proportion can have been habitable, for much of the interior is occupied by large areas of bare rock. A thin band of rubble is all that remains of the wall on the E, but on the W and SW four short stretches of outer facing-stones are still in situ. Where best preserved, on the SW, the wall-face consists of rounded boulders and survives to a height of 0.5m in two courses.

The last remnants of an outwork guarding the line of easiest approach are represented by some stony debris (B) lying along the margin of the lower terrace on the NE.

One or two doubtful hammer-stones were found here by Beveridge. (E Beveridge 1903)

E Beveridge 1903; RCAHMS 1980, visited 1975.