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Dun Maraig, Skye

Building(S) (Medieval), Causeway (Period Unknown), Fort (Prehistoric)(Possible), Fortified Island (Medieval)(Possible)

Site Name Dun Maraig, Skye

Classification Building(S) (Medieval), Causeway (Period Unknown), Fort (Prehistoric)(Possible), Fortified Island (Medieval)(Possible)

Alternative Name(s) Poll Na H-ealaidh

Canmore ID 11133

Site Number NG35NE 5

NGR NG 37691 59153

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/11133

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Snizort
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Skye And Lochalsh
  • Former County Inverness-shire

Archaeology Notes ( - 1971)

NG35NE 5 3769 5915

(NG 3769 5915) Dun Maraig (NR)

OS 6" map, (1968)

About 70 yards from the W shore of Poll na H-Ealaidh is a tidal islet which is occupied by the ruins of the Dun Maraig. It measures about 40 yards in length by some 30 yards in breadth and has been connected with the W shore by a causeway, now destroyed. On the side next to the causeway it has been defended by a stone wall of considerable strength which has collapsed for the greater part. A portion, however, built just above HWM, maintains a height on the outside of 4-5' for a length of some 8 yards. The opposite side of the islet is rather higher, its rocky margin rising 6-8' above high tide, and here there is no trace of a wall. There are the remains of two oblong houses of late date within.

(RCAHMS 1928, visited 1915).

Roughly 'B'-shaped on plan Dun Maraig has occupied the whole of the islet and on size should be classified as a fort.

The wall forming the straight side of the 'B' facing SW shows enough of the core and outer face to suggest a thickness of between 2.5m and 3.0m. A break just SE of centre may indicate the original entrance utilized by the occupants of the rectangular buildings. The wall can be traced around the whole of the NW half of the 'B' but there is no trace of it around the SE half where the higher cliff may have provided an effective barrier in itself.

The line of the causeway to the SW can be distinctly seen as a slightly curved intermittent line of boulders disturbed by the tide, but suggesting an original width of c.1.8m.

Visited by OS (ISS), 19 October 1971.

Activities

Field Visit (2 June 1915)

Dun Maraig, Cuidrach.

Pol na H-Ealaidh is a small landlocked bay on the east side of Loch Snizort, at Cuidrach, some 3½ miles south-south-west of Uig. About 70 yards from its western shore is a tidal islet, inaccessible for the greater part of the day, which is occupied by the ruins of Dun Maraig. It measures about 40 yards in length by some 30 yards in breadth and has been connected with the western shore of the bay by a causeway, now quite destroyed. On the side next the causeway it has been defended by a stone wall of considerable strength, which has collapsed for the greater part. A portion, however, built just above high-watermark, maintains a height on the outside of 4 to 5 feet for a length of some 8 yards. The opposite side of the islet is rather higher, its rocky margin rising 6 to 8 feet above high tide, and here there are no traces of a wall. There are the remains of two oblong houses of late date within the dun.

RCAHMS 1928, visited 2 June 1915.

OS map: Skye x.

Note (16 January 2015 - 30 May 2016)

This fortification is situated on a tidal islet on the S side of the bay named Poll na h-Ealaidh. The defences comprise a single wall which has been erected immediately behind the high water mark along the SW and NW margins of the islet, while elsewhere the rock outcrops forming the shore are between 1.8m and 2.4m high; the weight of core material and elements of the outer face suggest a thickness of at least 2.5m. The interior measures a maximum of 30m from NW to SE by 25m (0.07ha), but there is a deep indentation on the NE. It is occupied by the remains of at least two rectangular buildings, which raise the possibility that this is a medieval island dwelling rather than a prehistoric fort. The entrance is probably on the SW and was approached by a causeway from the adjacent shore.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 30 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC2705

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