Skye, Dun Na H'airde, Greshornish Point

Dun na h-Airde, Greshornish Point.

On the western shore of Loch Greshornish, almost 1 ¾ miles north - north - east of Greshornish House and some 650 yards south-south-east of Greshornish Point, is an irregularly shaped elevated plateau almost surrounded by the sea and connected on the west by a narrow neck to the land. It has rocky sides, mostly precipitous, which on the north rise about 50 feet straight out of the water, but which towards the south fall to a height of about 20 feet. The summit has a pronounced slope from north-north-east to south-south-west to a lower terrace, all of which is occupied by the remains of a fort which has been defended by a strong wall on the landward or western flank, and by a weaker one on the side next the water, both of which are built on or near the edge of the rocks. The latter, which shows a thickness of 4 or 5 feet, is reduced to the foundations, but the wall on the west shows a height of 3 feet of its outer face in position in several places. For the greater part of its length it is only a mass of stones 4 feet in height, and it measures from 7 feet on the south to 10 feet in thickness near the northern end. The dun is divided into two wards by a stone wall running from north-west to south-east, the larger on the north having a mean length of 100 feet and a mean width of 78 feet, while the smaller on the south, on a gradual slope at a lower elevation, averages 68 feet in length and 46 feet in width. The approach to the dun is from the ridge connecting it with the land, and a roadway, probably built up on the outer side, slants up the rocks and enters the northern court at its south-western angle through a well-defined entrance, which is 12 feet higher than the crest of the ridge. At the outside the gateway measures 3 feet in width, and the passage, which is paved with long slabs, gradually widens to a width of 3 feet 6 inches at a distance of 4 feet 5 inches from the outside. At this place there is a check or break on the wall on the south side 2 feet 4 inches deep. The passage has a width of some 5 feet 8 inches at the inside. The wall on the immediate north side has a thickness of 10 feet 9 inches, and that on the south 8 feet 10 inches. The divisional wall, 7 feet 6 inches thick, between the courts begins 1 foot 3 inches south of the inside of the entrance, and in it at a distance of 15 feet 7 inches eastwards from the main wall is the passage, 3 feet 6 inches wide, connecting the two wards. (Figs. 234, 235.)

In the northern and higher court is a finely built circular well, the wall of which stands exposed for some 2 feet above the rubbish which has accumulated in it. It measures from 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches in diameter and seems to have been surrounded by a parapet, but this is almost gone.

RCAHMS 1928, visited 8 June 1921.

OS map: Skye xvi.

NG35NE 3 3507 5577.

(NG 3507 5577) Dun Na h'Airde (NR) (Site of)

OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1904)

Dun na h'Airde, a fort, as planned by RCAHMS, occupying a rock girt plateau whose E and N sides plunge precipitously to the sea.

The fort wall conforms to the rim of the plateau and varies in thickness from 1.1m in the E to 3.3m at the entrance in the W where the outer face, with a pronounced batter, survives to a maximum height of 1.4m. The entrance is unusual in that the S side is rebated twice whilst the N side is straight. It is paved and is equipped with two steps or threshold stones. Immediately outside the entrance on the N are indications of what may be a flight of steps leading to the wallhead. The interior is divided into two unequal parts, at different levels, by a contemporary wall which is built along a natural scarp. This wall is pierced towards its W end by a communicating passageway. It appears that the wall at "A" has been rebuilt as it is only 0.8m thick at this point, and there are traces of the original wall at the cliff edge.

Within the upper northerly part is an oval stone-lined well with traces of the possible parapet noted by RCAHMS, and an isolated stretch of turf-covered walling, of uncertain purpose, spread to c.2.0m and showing a few facing stones on its N side.

The 'roadway' described by RCAHMS approaching the fort obliquely from the NW does not appear to be a constructed way and is probably due to tumble being cleared for access to cultivate the interior which shows evidence of lazy beds in both compartments.

Visited by OS (RL) 6 October 1971.

This fort is situated on a precipitous promontory at the N end of the Greshornish peninsula. Its wall is in a comparatively good state of preservation, the coursed masonry of the entrance-passage and parts of the outer face still standing up to 1m in height. At the entrance, which is on the NW, there is evidence for two phases of construction. A wall, which divides the interior into two courts has been butted against the main wall. The entrance itself has been reduced in width from 1.7m to 1m by the insertion of a block of masonry, together with an inner sill-stone and presumably the paving-stones visible on the floor. To the NE of the entrance, the main wall has also been thickened from 2.7m to 3.3m by the addition of second skin of inner facing-stones. In its first phase the interior of the fort measured about 45m by 23m; within the upper court, which measures 26m by 23m, there is a stone-lined well and a low stony bank. The only other features visible within the interior are lazy-beds.

Immediately outside the entrance to the fort there are traces of a small sub-rectangular hut.

(WAT90 1479)

Visited by RCAHMS (SPH) 21 August 1990.

This fort occupies a precipitous promontory on the E coast of the Greshornish peninsula not far from its NE tip. The fort displays evidence of two phases of construction, in the earlier phase comprising a single wall some 2.7m thick which extended along the lip of the landward side on the W and returned around the S end to enclose an irregular area measuring about 45m from N to S by up to 23m transversely (0.1ha). The entrance was on the W and measured 1.7m in width. In the second phase the entrance was reduced in width to 1m by the insertion of a block of masonry, together with an inner sill-stone and probably the paving that currently forms its floor. N of the entrance the main wall was increased in thickness to 3.3m and the interior was subdivided into an upper court on the N and a lower court on the S by the insertion of a wall 2.3m thick across the interior, which can be seen to butt against the inner face of the main wall immediately S of the entrance. An entrance through the partition connects the two courts, the upper of which measures 26m by 23m and contains a stone-lined well. The only other features visible within the interior are a low stony bank in the upper court and traces of cultivation beds in both.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 18 October 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC2704