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Culkein, An Dunan
Dun (Prehistoric)
Site Name Culkein, An Dunan
Classification Dun (Prehistoric)
Alternative Name(s) Bay Of Culkein
Canmore ID 4519
Site Number NC03SW 1
NGR NC 0419 3400
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/4519
- Council Highland
- Parish Assynt
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Sutherland
- Former County Sutherland
NC03SW 1 0419 3400
(NC 0419 3400) An Dunan (NR)
OS 1:10,000 map (1971).
An Dunain, Culkein: At the N end of the Bay of Culkein are the remains of a fortress of great strength. A promontory is divided into two portions by a chasm bridged over by a neck of rock some 3' to 4' long, about 5' deep, and not more than 1'6" broad. The outward portion to which this bridge leads rises abruptly from the shelving rocks below to a height of about 50'. Its surface is some 50' long by 20' broad. At the W, or landward end, for a distance of some 20' there are remains of a building, which, above the cliff to the N, is still visible to a height of 3' or 4'; elsewhere there are only indications of a wall running along the N side. About 40' landward from the bridge the neck of the prom- ontory has been traversed by a wall of great strength, about 7' thick, faced outwardly with huge blocks of stone. The entrance has been at the S end of this wall, through a passage 8' long and apparently 3'6" wide. The right side is completely ruined. The area enclosed within the wall is roughly oval, measuring about 40' by 37'.
RCAHMS 1911.
A promontory fort formed by a wall 40' long and 7' thick, built of very large blocks, cutting off a peninsula 100' long. The enclosed area is divided by a natural chasm which is crossed by a narrow rock bridge.
R W Feachem 1963.
There is a circular enclosure 6.0m in diameter immediately inside the rampart; and on the stack there is the base of a tower 5m by 6m on what is possibly an earlier foundation 5m to 12m.
Information contained in letter from T C Welsh, 4 July 1971.
An Dunan: The remains of a dun with an outwork. The dun occupies a roughly rectangular stack measuring c. 18.0m NE-SW by 6.0m NW-SE. At its SW end and completely blocking the approach is what appears to be a block-house which is too obscured by turf-covered debris for positive identification. Although the outer face of well-squared blocks is visible in places to 4 courses, no other architectural details can be seen. The approach to the stack has been defended by an outwork consisting of a curving boulder-faced wall averaging 2.3m in thickness. The entrance, towards its S end, splays from 2.2m at its outer end to 1.8m internally.
Surveyed at 1:10,000.
Visited by OS (J M), 8 August 1974.
No change to the previous field report.
Visited by OS (J B), 11 August 1980.
Field Visit (8 June 1909)
6. An Dunain, Culkein. At the N. end of the Bay of Culkein are the remains of a fortress of great strength. A promontory is divided into two portions by a chasm bridged over by a neck of rock some 3' to 4' long, about 5' deep, and not more than 1' 6” broad. The outward portion to which this bridge leads rises abruptly from the shelving rocks below to a height of about 50'. Its surface is some 50' long by 20' broad. At the W., or landward end, for a distance of some 20' there are remains of building, which, above the cliff to the N., is still visible to a height of 3' or 4'; elsewhere there are only indications of a wall running along the N. side. About 40' landward from the bridge the neck of the promontory has been traversed by a wall of great strength, about 7' thick, faced outwardly with huge blocks of stone one on the left of the entrance being 3' high, 2' 10" across the base, and 2' thick. The entrance has been at the S. end of this wall, through a passage 8' long and apparently 3' 6" wide. The right side is completely ruined. The area enclosed within the wall is roughly oval, measuring about 40' by 37'.
OS 6-inch map: Sutherland Sheet xlviii.
RCAHMS 1911, visited (AOC) 8th June 1909.
Note (2 February 2015 - 31 May 2016)
A complex promontory fortification is situated on the headland named Rubh'an Dunain, which forms the NW shore of the Bay of Culkein. The promontory terminates on the NE in a stack that is joined to the mainland by no more than a narrow bridge of outcrop spanning a chasm falling about 15m to a broad wave-cut platform at the foot of the cliffs. The principal elements of the defences comprise a rectilinear block occupying the landward end of the stack above the bridge, with an outer wall drawn across the promontory to block access to the landward end of the bridge; in addition, a much slighter wall cuts across the spine of the promontory a little over 20m further to the W. The summit of the stack measures about 15m from ENE to WSW by 6m transversely and the whole of the western half is occupied by a rectangular structure measuring about 7m in length by 5m in breadth, which still displays the masonry of its battered outer face standing about 1m high in four course in its N side; there are also traces of a wall-face extending along the N margin of the rest of the stack. The main defence on the landward side is a wall between 2.3 and 3m thick, constructed with massive blocks and in places still standing about 1m high; there are also possible traces of face within the thickness of the wall. Drawn in an arc across the crest of the promontory and returning along its N margin, it is broken by an unchecked entrance on the WSW close to the cliff-edge and encloses an area measuring about 10m from NW to SE by 8m transversely. The slighter outer wall, which is also broken by a gap near the cliff-edge on the SE margin of the promontory, encloses an additional area of about 0.05ha.
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 31 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC2777
