Achastle Fort

NN86SE 7 8652 6257

A dun (OS 6" map annotated by A L F Rivet, OS, 4 June 1962), called Caisteal Achadh a' Chaisteal or Achastle Fort, is situated near the head of Glen Fincastle, on the side of a hill, near the top of a field, and about 1100' OD (visible on RAF air photograph 106G/Scot/UK 59: 3389-90 - flown 8 May 1946 at NN 8653 6258).

Little remains except a grassy wall 18" - 2' high with external diameters of 92' and 80'.

There are two openings at the SE.

W J Watson 1915.

NN 8652 6258. Situated on top of a low, natural, rocky knoll are the slight outlines of a homestead c. 24.0m in diameter over walls c. 2.2m wide. Slight traces of the outer wall face can be seen on the S and NE sides, and the entrance is on the E. No confirmation of either of the names given by Watson(1915) could be found locally; in general the feature was unknown.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (W D J), 26 March 1968.

A circular homestead on a rise. Watson's (1915) plan is incorrect. The stone he shows in the N is an outer wall facing stone, which, with several others around the S half, gives an overall diameter of 24.7m. The wall is turf-covered and no inner face is evident, but the spread suggests a wall thickness of c. 3.0m. A gap in the SE probably represents the mutilated entrance. A second gap to the W, planned by Watson, is a mutilation. Neither name is known locally.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (J M), 6 November 1974.

NN 8652 6257. The turf-covered remains of this homestead are generally as described. A stony spread to the S is a field clearance heap.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (M J F), 27 August 1980.