Archaeology Notes

Event ID 674264

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/674264

NM45NW 3 4310 5624.

(NM 4310 5624) An Sean Dun (NR)

OS 1:10000 map (1976)

Dun, An Sean Dun: Situated 1.2 km SW of Glengorm Castle, An Sean Dun is one of the best-preserved duns on Mull. It occupies the highest part of a ridge which runs from NNW to SSE, and is protected on the E by a short but sheer rock-face falling about 3.6m to a steep grassy slope; the other approaches are over a series of rocky terraces.

Circular on plan, the dun measures about 9m in diameter within a wall, some 3m thick, faced with large blocks. The circuit of the inner face is complete, and that of the outer face nearly so. The best-preserved stretches of the outer face are on the N, where the wall, incorporating stones up to 1m long, stands to a height of 1 m in three courses.

Behind the inner face on the NW and SSE sides there is a scarcement ledge, which measures 0.35m in width on the SSE and between 0.25m and 0.4m in width on the NW; the scarcement stands about 0.7m above the present ground-level of the interior. A gap in the inner face of the dun wall on the SW, measuring about 1m in width, may be the entrance to a recess or to a stair. An internal wall-face visible on the NNE and S is probably a revetment, similar to those found on a number of sites in Kintyre and Lorn, rather than the remains of a mural gallery.

The entrance to the dun is on the ESE and has been protected by an outwork running from the cliff edge on the E to the dun wall on the S. This outer wall has been more heavily robbed than that of the dun; its outer face stands at best to a height of 0.6m in two rough courses.

The entrance is in line with that of the dun.

RCAHMS 1980, visited 1973; R W Feachem 1963

An Sean Dun, a dun.

Revised at 1:2500 scale.

Visited by OS (JP) 24 April 1972.

Scheduled as An Sean Dun, dun.

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