Archaeology Notes

Event ID 673940

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/673940

NM42SW 2 4127 2363.

(NM 4127 2363) Dun na Muirgheidh (NR)

OS 6" map (1900)

Dun na Muirheidh (NAT) Fort (NR)

(Name mis-spelled on 1:10,000 plan.)

OS 1:10000 map (1976)

Fort, Dun na Muirgheidh: This fort, measuring about 30m by 21m internally, is situated 3 km NE of Bunessan on a rocky promontory which projects into a small bay near the mouth of Loch Scridain. From the S the approach is comparatively easy, but the E and W flanks of the promontory develop into sheer rock-faces, rising to a maximum height of 9.5m above the shore on the NNW.

The defences comprise four walls, the innermost (A on plan) following summit of the promontory, and the others lying to the S. Wall A is a massive structure, and long stretches of the outer face survive round the S half of its circuit, standing at best to a height of 1.5m in seven courses. At the entrance, on the S, the wall attains its greatest thickness of 5.2m, but some 10m to the E, the only other point where an accurate measurement can be taken, it has decreased to 3.5m, probably the width that was maintained for the rest of its course. The remains of the wall diminish progressively along the E and W sides, and all traces have disappeared at the NW tip.

Two constructional phases are clearly visible at the entrance. In the first phase the passage measured 2.3m in width at its outer end but increased to a width of 2.7m at a point 2.7m from the outside, where it was checked for a door, beyond which the width decreased slightly. Behind the check the mouth of a bar-hole can be seen in the E side wall, with a corresponding recess in the opposite side of the passage. In the second phase a reducing-wall was built against the E side-wall, thereby decreasing the width of the passage to 1.2m externally and to 1.5m inward from the check; the original bar-hole and socket remained in use. The quality of this second- phase masonry is noticeably inferior to that of the original. The interior contains the dry-stone foundations of two sub-rectangular buildings, which are probably of late medieval date. Wall B springs from the outer face of wall A about 6m E of the entrance, and runs in a gentle curve along a natural terrace some 3m below the level of the summit before ending abruptly on the tip of a bare spine of rock. Of massive construction, it varies in thickness between 2.7m and 3.7m, and survives to a maximum height of 1.2m in three courses at the entrance, which is in line with the entrance through wall A. The original entrance was subsequently blocked with carefully-laid dry-stone masonry.

Wall C runs across almost level ground at the base of the promontory some 8m outside, and 3.5m below, wall B. It measures 2.4m in average thickness, and some massive boulders have been used as facing-stones, the outer face standing up to 1.2m high in four courses, with the rubble core rising 1.7m in height. The approximate position of the entrance is indicated by the gap shown on the plan W of the modern wall.

Only a short stretch of wall D remains visible, on the W side of the modern wall. It consists of a grass-grown stony bank, not more than 0.5m high, faced on either side with boulders, indicating a thickness of 2.4m. All other traces have been obliterated by stone-robbing, probably carried out in connection with the construction of two adjacennt sub-rectangular buildings, similar in character to those within the fort. These buildings may bbe compared with those found in association with a number of medieval castles and probably indicate a secondary phase of occupation at that period.

RCAHMS 1980, visited 1973

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (DWR) 1 June 1972.

Scheduled as Dun na Muirgheidh, fort... with the remains of buildings suggesting later reuse.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 11 November 2003.