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Dunach
Dun (Later Prehistoric)
Site Name Dunach
Classification Dun (Later Prehistoric)
Canmore ID 22955
Site Number NM82SE 1
NGR NM 86849 24931
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/22955
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Kilmore And Kilbride
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
NM82SE 1 8685 2493.
(NM 8685 2493) Dun (NR)
OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)
The remains of a dun occupy the highest point of a tree-covered ridge situated close to the shore at the east end of Loch Feochan, ENE of Dunach House. The site is almost impregnable on the east and west due to the sheer rock-faces up to 18 metres in height, but on the south the immediate approach is over more gently sloping ground. To the north, the line of cliffs is broken by a natural grassy ramp.
The dun wall has been severely reduced by stone-robbing and tree-planting and now appears as a low band of rubble from 1.5 to 2.7 metres wide enclosing a roughly oval area measuring 11.6 by 14.3 metres. No facing stones are visible. Of the two gaps in the wall debris, that on the NNW almost certainly represents an original entrance while that on the east was probably caused by recent disturbance.
On the south, where a broad shelf slopes gently down from the dun to the shore, additional defence has been provided by an arc of walling drawn across the ridge from E-W, but all that remains of this is a moss-grown spread of stony debris 3 metres in maximum width and 0.3 metres in height. The quarries from which the core material was probably obtained can be seen as shallow scoops lying immediately within the line of the wall.
A short stretch of stony bank situated on the edge of the cliff about 13 metres north of the dun suggests that this side also was defended by an outwork.
RCAHMS 1975, visited May 1967.
As described. The rubble debris of the outwork on the north could not be identified.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 scale.
Visited by OS (W D J) 18 November 1969.
Field Visit (May 1967)
NM 868 249. This dun (Fig. 57, plan), 570 m ENE of Dunach House, occupies the highest point of a tree-covered ridge situated close to the shore at the E end of Loch Feochan. Sheer rock-faces up to 18 m in height render the site almost impregnable on the E and W, but on the S the immediate approach is over more gently sloping ground, and to the N the line of cliffs is broken by a natural grassy ramp.
The dun wall has been severely reduced by stone-robbing and tree-planting, and now appears as a low band of rubble from 1'5 m to 2'7 m wide, enclosing a roughly oval area measuring 11.6 m by 14'3 m; no facing-stones are visible. Of the two gaps in the wall debris, that on the NNW almost certainly represents an original entrance, while the one on the E was probably caused by recent disturbance. There is no trace of the internal 'traverse' recorded by Christison (PSAS, xxiii (1888-9), 392), and it seems unlikely that such a feature ever existed. Inspection of his published site-plan strongly suggests that Christison mistook the natural scarp situated to the NNE of the entrance for an artificial defence-work and was therefore led to interpret the arc of dun wall lying immediately to the S of it as some form of internal blocking.
On the S, where a broad shelf slopes gently down from the dun to the shore, additional defence has been provided by an arc of walling drawn across the ridge from E to W. It too has been subjected to severe stone-robbing, all that remains being a moss-grown spread of stony debris 3 m in maximum width and 0'3 m in height. The quarries from which the core material was probably obtained can be seen as shallow scoops lying immediately within the line of the wall. A short stretch of stony bank situated on the edge of the cliff, about 13 m N of the dun, supports Christison's claim (Ibid, 391) that this side also was defended by an outwork.
RCAHMS 1975, visited May 1967.
Measured Survey (1967)
Surveyed with alidade and plane-table at 1mm:1ft. Redrawn in ink and published at the reduced scale of 1:1000 (RCAHMS 1975, fig. 57).
Note (1 December 2014 - 31 May 2016)
The summit of a precipitous ridge of outcrop standing back a little from the shore at Dunach is crowned by the remains of a roughly circular dun 12m in internal diameter, but there are also traces of walls cutting across the ridge on the N and S, forming a larger enclosure measuring internally 46m from NNW to SSE by 27m transversely (0.09ha); the wall on the SSE is spread about 3m in thickness by 0.3m in height and has traces of small quarry scoops immediately to its rear. While conventionally interpreted as outworks to the dun, it is equally possible that these are the remains of a free-standing enclosure taking advantage of the natural strength of the ridge.
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 31 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC2583
