Creagan An Tuirc

NH62NE 7 666 291

On the rocky summit of Creagan an Tuirc, an isolated hill, denuded remains of wall foundations enclose an area some 71m NE-SW by 46m transversely. This stone wall varies in width from 2 to 3m. No stonework on E, where precipitous rock forms a natural defence. Entrance possibly on S.

E Meldrum 1978.

This fort occupies the summit of Creagan an Tuirc, an isolated outcrop rising from the valley floor on the SE side of the River Nairn to the ENE of Brinmore farmsteading. The enclosed area measures 66m from NE to SW by 36m transversely, with an entrance 2m wide on the SSW. The wall is composed of large blocks and measures 3m in thickness and stands between 0.3m and 1m in height, being generally higher on the outside than on the interior. The wall has been placed to accentuate natural lines of defence, and there is a gap in the NE where the circuit is continued by a vertical rock face.

(USN93 20)

Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 6 November 1992.

This fort is situated on the summit of Creagan an Tuirc, a rocky hillock rising up to the NE of Brinmore. Roughly oval on plan, it measures about 66m from NE to SW by 36m transversely (0.18ha) within a wall about 3m in thickness and from 0.3m to 1m in height. The entrance is on the SSW and the interior is featureless.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 18 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC2890

This fort is situated on the summit of Creagan an Tuirc, an isolated rocky outcrop rising 47m from the WNW edge of the flood plain of the River Nairn, about 240m NE of Brinmore. Oval on plan, it measures 66m from NE to SW by 36m transversely within a wall reduced to a grass- and bracken-grown stony bank between 2.7m and 4.4m thick, and up to 1m in height. There is an entrance (3m wide) in the SW end, marked on each side by a large facing-stone. Fourteen other outer facing-stones are visible around the perimeter. On the NW, sections of the wall appear to have slipped partly down the natural slope, while on the ENE no trace of it remains where it must have traversed what is now bare rock outcrop. At the NE end, the wall-core has been robbed, leaving a shallow, irregular gully, measuring 15m in length by up to 1.5m in breadth and 0.25m in depth. Further robbing has occurred close to the west side of the entrance. The interior is marked by a spine that runs NE and SW, and is followed by a rough track that runs over the fort wall at both its NE and SW ends. The small part of the interior that lies NW of this spine is steep and is, other than for the occurrence of large rock outcrops, featureless. The larger part of the interior lies to the SE of the spine and whilst the ground here slopes more gently down to the SE, it is equally devoid of visible features, though a small group of saplings has recently been planted here. Also visible within this part of the fort on the date of survey were two wooden poles (NH 66641 29075 and NH 66670 29111), evidently erected to support broadband aerials, the SW pole being placed on the inner edge of the fort wall close to the entrance. A cable linking the aerials has been buried in a trench excavated between the posts across the interior of the fort; and from the SW post this trench has been dug through the thickness of the fort wall 1.5m E of the entrance, beyond which it runs downslope towards Brinmore.

Visited by HES, Survey and Recording (ATW, AMcC and KLG), 27 February 2020.