Rubha An Fhaing Dhuibh, Loch Shiel

NM87SW 1 8130 7185

(NM 8130 7185) A D-shaped fort occupies the whole of Rubha an Fhaing Dhuibh, a small, low-lying promontory, protected on the landward side by marshy ground. The curved wall stands to a height of 0.5m, and is well faced with carefully-laid stones with rubble infill. Wall thickness varies from 0.8m to 1.0m. The wall on the landward side may be later, and consists of cobbling filling the gaps between large boulders, with a "two- roomed house" built as an outshot. Both rooms are of irregular shape but have rounded corners. The floor level of room 1 is about 0.4m higher than that of room 2, suggesting the possibility of an occupation layer, but it has no obvious entrance. A recent (?) dike of stone and turf extends to the SW with another wall at right angles extending into the loch. A much cruder wall joining natural boulders extends into the loch from the W side of the fort, acting as a breakwater and forming a harbour.

Information contained in letter from from J E Kirby (with plan) to OS, 10 December 1978.

Listed as cashel (possible).

(Details obtainable from Lochaber Forest District office, Torlundy, Fort William.)

J Kirby 1992.

NM 8130 7185 A survey was carried out over three days in April 2012 of Rubha an Fhaing Dhuibh, located on the S bank of Loch Shiel. The survey used a Total Station and incorporated over 2000 digital photographs. The photographs were combined using VisualSFM to generate a point cloud of over 40 million points. This was then used to generate a highly accurate series of plans and elevations. A textured mesh of the central structure was generated using a separate set of photographs processed using Autodesk's 123D Catch, another automated photogrammetry software package.

Archive: RCAHMS

Funder: Forestry Commission Scotland

John McCarthy, WA Heritage, 2012 (Source: DES). OASIS ID: waherita1-129876