Field Visit
Date 27 August 1943
Event ID 933031
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/933031
The mote-hill traditionally known as Dunskaith stands on the lip of the North Sutor cliffs about half a mile E of the modern ferry-pier. Its exact position may be established by the bearings 240 degrees (true) on Cromarty harbour light-house and 166 degrees (true) on the centre of the Sutors Stacks. The mound, which is difficult to identify in the somewhat broken ground of the cliff-edge, is enclosed by a ditch on the W, N and E and measures 76ft over all from WNW to ESE. Of this dimension 40ft represents the summit, from which flanks of the mound slope 18ft on either side to the bottom of the ditch. On the NNE the ditch is 29ft wide from lip to lip, and the summit stands 8ft above its bottom. This monument should be visited again and planned, but the work should be done at a season when the features are not obscured by bracken.
The mote is mentioned in Scotichronicon under the date 1179, (Book VIII, ch. Xxviii).
Visited by RCAHMS (AG, VGC) 27 August 1943.
Map ref: lxvii (‘Dunsketh Castle, site of’; ‘Moat’)
