Field Visit

Date 20 July 1957

Event ID 926724

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/926724

RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey

This fort is situated on an isolated, steep-sided peak of conglomerate which lies one and a half miles west of the centre of Inverness; it attains a height of 400 feet OD and forms the north east extremity of a ridge dividing the lower Ness valley from the Beauly Firth. The ridge continues north east of the Firth, rising at once to the summit known as Ord Hill of Kessock (qv Ross and Cromarty). The fort is sub-rectangular on plan and measures 245 feet in length from north east to south west by between 60 feet and 75 feet transversely within the substantial ruin of a stone wall spread to a thickness of up to 30 feet and standing to a height of about 4 feet above the interior. The whole of the wall is covered in woodland vegetation, brambles and scrub, and although it is reportedly to be solidly vitrified all round the only part actually seen on the date of visit was at a point near the north corner. The thickness of the wall cannot readily be judged, but the size of the ruin suggests that it might have been as much as 20 feet at base. Another, reputedly vitrified, wall lies at a distance varying, at the crest, from 45 feet to 75 feet outside the inner one. This wall runs through dense scrub, but as far as could be judged, it had spread to about 15 feet in width and stood about 3 foot in height. No entrance gaps could be located in either of the ramparts (cf Knock Farrel), and nothing recognisable occurs in the interior except a depression near the north east end of the interior of the inner work. This was recorded by Williams as having been a well which was substantially filled to prevent danger to sheep in the 18th century.

Visited by RCAHMS (RWF?) 20th July 1957.