Skye, Dun Taimh

Dun Taimh, Beinn Dhubh, Gesto.

To the north-west of the summit of Beinn Dhubh, a hill rising over 400 feet above sea-level on the eastern side of Loch Harport, near its mouth, is a narrow ridge with a gentle slope and precipitous

sides increasing in height towards its western extremity, which is occupied by a ruined fort, Dun Taimh. Built on a prominent position it commands one of the finest views in the Isle of Skye. In the background is the rugged range of the Cuillins; in front lies Loch Bracadale, studded with islets, with the flat tops of Macleod' s Tables rising behind, and in the farther distance the Minch, beyond which appear the Outer Hebrides. The fort is defended by a curved wall built across the ridge and returning a distance of nearly 40 yard s along the southern flank, which though precipitous is not quite inaccessible. There is no rampart on the northern flank, as the cliff rises sheer. Across the ridge in front of the main wall is an outer wall erected about 24 feet 6 inches distant from it at the centre, the ends of which recurve to meet the inner defence on the edge of the cliff. Both walls are much dilapidated. The inner wall shows small portions of both faces in position; it is 11 feet 6 inches in width at the entrance placed in the centre of the ridge, and at most shows a height of 6 feet of displaced stones. The outer wall is reduced to the foundation course, and at one place, where the two faces remain in situ, it measures 5 feet in thickness. The entrance has gone straight through both defences, and where it pierces the inner wall it measures 6 feet 2 inches in width. Along the major axis which runs about west -north-west and east -south-east the fort measures intern ally over 132 feet, while it is some 76 feet across the widest part.

Within the dun is a large cairn erected to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.

RCAHMS 1928, visited 18 May 1915.

OS map: Skye xxxiii

Dun Taimh, as described by RCAHMS. The dimensions suggest a fort rather than a dun.

Visited by OS (C F W) 1 June 1961.

The wall along the SW side can be traced for at least another 12.0m further to the NW than indicated by first OS field surveyor on his sketch plan.

Visited by OS (A A) 5 November 1971.

Dun Taimh, a fort, as described by RCAHMS and planned by previous OS field surveyor. The entrance in the outer wall is 2.1m in width and the wall thickness here is 1.6m.

Visited by OS (R L) 18 October 1971.

Field visits were undertaken to various sites, 20–22 April 2015, as part of a general survey of forts on Skye carried out by Simon Wood and Ian Ralston as part of the fieldwork for the former’s PhD research.

NG 36300 36640 Dun Taimh (Canmore ID: 11049) A small fort generally as described by RCAHMS in 1928. This is essentially an inland promontory fort with ramparts continuing in an arc stretching from the W to S and E. There is arguably some walling continuing along the W flank of the promontory to the NW. Evidence of some structural remains are visible in the interior, beside the 19th century cairn, but it is likely that there has been considerable amounts of activity on the hilltop. A possible ditch and causeway lie to the S and SE on the main approach to the site.

Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (intended)

Funder: School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh

Simon Wood and Ian Ralston – University of Edinburgh

(Source: DES, Volume 16)

This fort is situated on a narrow precipitous ridge forming the summit of Beinn Dhubh, a commanding position with a particularly wide outlook. For the greater part of the circuit on the northern and western flanks the interior is bounded only by the cliff-edge, but two walls have been drawn across the more accessible SE approach and the inner returns along the SW flank. The inner is 3.5m in thickness at the entrance in the middle of the SE side, but is largely reduced to a scree of rubble about 1.8m high, while the outer is about 1.6m in thickness. The entrance pierces both walls, the inner measuring 1.9m in width, and the outer 2.1m. The pear-shaped interior, which tapers towards the NW, measures 40m in length by a maximum of 23m in breadth (0.08ha). The only feature within the interior is a large cairn erected in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 30 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC2698

NG33NE 3 3630 3664.

(NG 3630 3664) Dun Taimh (NR) Cairn (NAT)

OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1903)

Dun Taimh occupies a prominent position at the western extremity of a gently sloping, but precipitous sided, narrow ridge. It is defended by a curved wall built across the ridge and returning a distance of nearly 40 yards along the southern flank, which although precipitous is not quite inaccessible. There is no rampart on the northern flank, as the cliff rises sheer. Across the ridge in front of the main wall is an outer wall erected about 24' 6" distant from it at the centre, the ends of which recurve to meet the inner defence on the edge of the cliff. Both walls are much dilapidated. The inner wall shows small portions of both faces in position; it is 11' 6" in width at the entrance placed in the centre of the ridge,and at most shows a height of 6' of displaced stones. The outer wall is reduced to the foundation course, and at one place, where the two faces remain in situ, it measures 5' in thickness.

The entrance has gone straight through both defences, and where it pierces the inner wall it measures 6' 2" in width. Along the major axis which runs about WNW-ESE the fort measures internally over 132', while it is some 76' across the widest part. Within the dun is a large cairn erected to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.

Information from OS.

RCAHMS 1928, visited 1915.