Skye, Dun Geilbt

Dun Geilbt, Inver Dalavil.

The ruined fort of Dun Geilbt occupies a very strong position on a spit of rock on the sea-shore at the south side of Inver Dalavil, on the west coast of Sleat, facing the mouths of Loch Slapin and Loch Eishort and the mountain masses of the Cuillins and Blaven in the background. On the south the rock is cut off from the land by a rocky chasm some 18 feet deep, and at the sides and extremity, which are washed by the sea at high tide, there are precipices about 30 feet high. The dun has been despoiled of· stones to build the neighbouring township of Caradal, now deserted. The remains of the building form the southern half of a circle only 19 feet in diameter internally, and occupy the south or landward end of the rock. The wall, which shows some very small pieces of building in position on the outer face, stands 4 feet in height on the inside 'above a few feet of fallen debris. It is 8 feet thick and has a scarcement 6 inches wide about 2 feet below its present summit. There is no indication of an entrance in the wall, and its ends rest on the edges of the cliff. No foundations of the complementary half of the building can be traced, but the place which should have been occupied by them is covered by a growth of moss 18 inches deep in places. From the inner face of the wall to the northern edge of the rock is about 70 feet.

RCAHMS 1928, visited 29 May 1915.

OS map: Skye lvii.

This small structure stands on a precipitous promontory girt with cliffs up to 10m high on all sides except the S, where an arc of wall stands on the lip of a deep cleft, with its ends resting on the cliffs to either side. The wall is 2.4m in thickness and still stands about 1.2m in height internally, the inner face exhibiting a scarcement 0.15m wide. The interior to the rear of the wall measures about 24m from NNW to SSE by 15m transversely (0.03ha); the entrance is not visible.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 31 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC2751