Archaeology Notes

Event ID 722471

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/722471

NW97SE 1 9823 7273

(NW 9824 7270) Dunskirloch Earthwork (NR)

OS 6" map (1957)

A flat-topped peninsular rock, defended by a trench across the neck, partly natural and partly artificial, forming a promontory fort (R W Feachem 1956). On the seaward side of the trench rises the rocky front of the peninsula, presenting a barrier some 25' in height at the west end, and gradually diminishing in elevation towards the east.

Along the top of this mural rock has been erected a wall or rampart for a distance of about 130', now fragmentary, measuring some 15' in breadth at base, and at the east end removed except for some large foundation stones. The trench in front measures some 15' to 20' in breadth at bottom, narrowing to about 8' near the centre where it has been crossed by the approach to the entrance, and 8' or 9' in width eastward. On the landward side of the trench has been an outer rampart, incorporating outcropping rock.

The interior of the fort is for the most part rocky, but across it lies a grassy area 50' in average width.

G Wilson 1885; RCAHMS 1912.

The remains of this promontory fort are generally as described by RCAHMS, except that there is little trace of the inner wall or rampart, apart from the few stones at its east end. There is no trace of the outer rampart. Within the interior, at NW 9824 7275, is a mutilated mound of earth and purpose of this mound is uncertain.

Revised at 25".

Visited by OS (WDJ) 13 February 1968

This fort is situated on Dunskirloch, a coastal promontory 200m NE of Corsewall Lighthouse. Its wall, now reduced to a spread of rubble and a few facing-stones, runs along the crest of an outcrop at the landward (SE) end of the promontory in front of which there is a deep natural fissure. The interior measures 71m by 41m, muchof it being bare outcrop, and the entrance is on the ESE. On the E side of the interir there is a bare outcrop, and the entrance is on the ESE. On the E side of the interior there is a roughly circular mound. measuring 6.5m in diameter by 0.8m in height, with a shallow depression in its top.

G Wilson 1885; RCAHMS 1912; RCAHMS 1985, visited October 1984.

(NW 9824 7272) Fort (NR)

OS 1:10000 map (1972)

This fort is situated on Dunskirloch, a coastal promontory 200m NE of Corsewall Lighthouse. At the landward end (the SE) the promontory rises into a rocky knoll fronted by a deep natural fissure, which is now largely filled up with farm rubbish. The wall, which has been reduced to little more than a spread of rubble up to 2.5m thick and a few outer facing-stones, runs along the crest of the knoll. At its SW end it terminated abruptly, and the basal course of facing-stones at its outer angle survive in situ on the edge of a rock outcrop 1.9m below the crest of the knoll. To the NE the wall drops down off the knoll and runs along the edge of the fissure, here only a shallow surface feature; all the wall core has been removed but a line of large irregular boulders (about 6m in length) indicates the position of the outer face. The entrance is towards the NE end of the wall where there is a 3.4m wide gap in the rock outcrops, with two large boulders, probably facing-stones, on its SW side. A scatter of debris on the outcrop immediately NE of the entrance, and also for a distance of about 15m along the E side of the promontory (where at least one outer facing stone survives in a fissure in the rocks), suggests that the wall turned sharply northwards, ending at the point where the cliffs became inaccessible. The interior of the fort is largely outcrop and measures 71m from N to S by up to 41m transversely; on its E side there is a roughly circular mound, measuring 6.5m in diameter by 0.8m in height, with a shallow depression in its top.

RCAHMS 1985, visited (SH) October 1984.