NOTE SOMN O S 1 E8 N ISLAYI S .

III.

NOTES ON SOME IN . BY PROFESSOR V. GORDON CHILDE, B.LITT., F.S.A.Scoi.

e twenty-seveOth f n fort dund an s s markee 6-incth n ho d O.Sp Ma . I visited sixteen on May 23—25, 1934.

(a) East Coast. (1) Dun Bhoraraic , on a summit 550 feet above O.D. and -J of mila e from shore commandin gsupera bSoune vieth f Islap wdo u o yt Colonsay and Mull, across the island to Loch Indall, the Rhinns and Irelan dowd dSounan e nth Kintyreo dt entrance south-ease Th th . n eo t is well preserved e passagth , e being 13 fee tfee2 lon inched 4 t gan s wide t eaca h end t widenin cella e leftbu , t s centreth i a , t o entereT gou . d fro e door-passagemth corbelline Th rooe . th visibls fi f go e thouge hth capstones have fallen in and the floor is choked with stones; dimensions above these 8 feet by 4 feet 6 inches. The court is choked with fallen stones and exact diameter is uncertain. The outer face of the tower south-wese th wal n o l falles ha t n dow e precipicenth t elsewherbu , s eit base at least is well preserved. In the thickness of the wall on the left (south-west) sid staire tracee littleth ar A f .o s e further roun dpassaga e lead cell a corbellee o st th , d inner wal whicf o l exposes hi collapse th y db e e outeoth f r wall signaA . l station with concrete pile s beeha s n built ove e brocth r soute h th wal n ho l (left). certaio Thern e near tracef o s . (2—6) Five duns in 3^ miles of coast between the east spur of Beinn Bheigeisouth-ease th d ran t corneislane th f dro for mgroupa . n Carraio r belon (2gMo Du )w Maol promontoryA . 0 10 , fee tfee0 5 lon t y widegb , rising sheer abou fee5 2 t t from water's edge with narrow coves or crevices on either side, is cut off by two well-built stone walls, 43 feet apart—traces of an intermediate wall. Above the neck the land rises quite steeply to the 200-foot contour. (3) Dun at Rudha Bhuidhe (north of ), 1-1 mile, south of (2), but not visible therefrom. A triangular promontory, rising 10 feet or so from the water and about 45 feet long, with a cove on the south a doubl y b f e o northof t a stonsand t sidy d cu e,ba yean wall, quite unmeasurable. Behind, the ground rises steeply to the 50-foot contour. 6 VOL. LXIX. 82 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , DECEMBE , 193410 R .

(4) Dun, vitrified fort, Trudernish Point, just under 1 mile, south of No. (3) and visible therefrom. The rocky promontory, about 30 feet above the water's edge, is cut off by a strong wall now a mass of rubble in which several of the stones are partially fused and some form typical vitrified agglomerations. Outsid massivo etw thie ar es ' walls, double-faced with trace f gooo s d masonr n castlyi e style. They t strictlareno y paralle vitrifiee th o t l d havy ramparema beed an tn built on to it. (5) Dun, Mulloch e highesBanTh .f severao t l isolated rock peaks midway betwee lesd san Porr d thanan Mo Aront y -j sBa mil e from shore, is girt wit massivha e stone wall over-ale th , l area being abou fee0 t10 t feet3 8 .y b Doubtful trace foss a outed f so an e r rampar e slopth en o t at the north-east end. (6) Dun, Ardmore. Fro e flamth t rocke groune heath th f - do t a d girt bay of Port na Cille a mass of rock rises vertically about 12 feet e landwaroth n fee8 d1 t sidd fro e an waterem th massivA . e stone wall encircle s summiit s t wit n over-ala h feet0 3 lfee6 ,y 6 areb t f ao clefts in the rock being carefully blocked by well-preserved walls. At the north-east end a built stair leads from the land through a cleft into the interior. (7) Dun Fhinn, on wild moors above Kintour river, about 1^ mile from the shore at Aros or Claggain Bay and over 200 feet above O.D., wat visitedsno . (8) An Dun, in the grounds of Kildalton House. An isolated rock about 50 feet above O.D. and 25 yards from the shore of Loch a Chruic, has been girt with a well-built massive wall. The interior has been made into a garden lookout and the walls have been as a result too much

disturbe r measurementdfo . T (b) South Coast. inlann (9A ) d "site," ovefee0 20 tr above O.Dd nearlan . y f mile from shore at Ard Beg, was not visited. (10) Borraniebill Mor, just a mile from the shore at . A bare rocky summit, 450 feet above O.D., is protected on the south and massiveasa y b t e double-faced wall, very well preserve fee8 d t thickdan , and on the other sides by precipitous cliffs. There is a small gate on the south-east certainly not more than 6 feet wide (only one face of the passage was exposed). The interior, very uneven and broken by tall rock outcrops, could not be measured, but probably comprises 1 to 3 acres. (11) Dun, Mull of Oa, cliff fort, not visited. NOTES ON SOME DUNS IN ISLAY. 83

(c) Central Islay. (12) Dun Nosebridge ? vitrified fort, Mulindry, overlooking upper Laggan valley. An isolated eminence rising above the cultivated lands, is crowned by a rectangular (with rounded corners) 96 feet by 55 feet from cres e well-markeo cresth t t f o t d entrance Th . e is in the middle of the north end. The rock falls away sheer on the east, but the slopes elsewhere are defended by two ditches with e south-westh t banksa d an ,t corne stone foury b rTh e. ramparte ar s entirely grass-grown and no traces either of vitrification or of building were exposed, but the form of the citadel recalls Dunagoil, Carradale, etc. n Ghuaidre(13Du ) , Kilmeny isolaten A . d eminence risin juso gt t over 300 feet above O.D. from cultivated fields, is entirely encircled by a massive-built stone wall enclosin ovan g a subrectangular o l r arefee0 a11 t e centr th a squar feet 4 n s 5 I ei .y eb stone foundation abou fee0 1 tt e soutsquare th e roc n hth kO . falls awa ye othe th sheer n r O side. s there are two ditches cut in the rock defending the slope. The entrance is at the south-east corner where a narrow causeway has been left between the cliff and the ends of the ditches. (14) Dun Cheapasaidh Mor, , over 300 feet O.D., 1 mile visibld an 3 e1 therefrom. nortNo f ho , apparentl y"hill-toa p town" like t visitedno , No10 .. Bheinicheltunn (15Du ) t visitedno , . (16) Site on Borichill Mor, not visited.

e moorth n (dsO ) between Loch Indal d Machaian l y (wesBa r t coast) five ar e duns, f whico hgroua f threpo e near Loch Gearach were alone visited. Grlan (17 Loin Du sa ) n severaGrhuirmf o e On l smal. l rocky eminences rising from a marsh, with its summit girt by a well-built but ruinous wall enclosing an over-all area 50 feet across. Vague suggestions of outworks at the foot. Mideirn (18Du ) , frocka mil, 17 ye . peanortfee0 No k30 tf h o O.D . of abou same tth gird e an dimensiont 7 wit1 . hsimilaa No s sa r wallt bu , with trace crosa f so s wall dividin witd an h t glatei r walls runnino t p gu the cliff's base. n Bhar-a-chlaom(19Du ) , f mile n north-north-wesA . 18 . No f o t isolated rock abov a eswam p with high ground behin , girit n do t top with well-built stone wall. Over-all area less than 35 feet across. 84 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , DECEMBE , 193410 R .

(e) West Coast. (20) Dun an Nighean, not visited. Apparently a cliff fort. (21) Dun Chroisprig, perched on a spur about half-way down a 200-foot precipice d abou an ,yard 0 5 t s from sandy shore. e Mosth f o t stone wal falles ha l n dow precipicee nth . (22) Dun Bhoraraig, Rudha na Faoileige, north of Lossit Bay. The headland that rise sfee 0 precipitousl2 t o t 0 1 d fee0 an y t15 a abovse e eth above the swampy hinterland is cut off by a massive-built stone wall. soute th e cliff th n h o s sidn narroa I s ei w cove accessible dow nsteea p slope through a cleft outside the ramparts. (23) An Dun, Rhinns Point, evidently a cliff'fort, not visited.

(f) West Shore of Loch Indall. (24n DunA ) , Octafad a roc, k girt with well-built stone wall, with over-all width of about 30 feet, rising sheer some 40 feet from water's edge. Coves in rock clefts on either side. Behind, the ground rises steeply to 200 feet O.D. (25) Rudh an Duin, Port Charlotte. The lighthouse stands on the site of a cliff fort.

NOTES. Only Nos. 10 and perhaps 14 approach in size or situation a hill-top tow I defin s na perhaps i e 0 masonrsuche 1 . Th s .No rathe f yo r coarser tha ".e mosn i th f o t " Nos. 12 and 13 are closely allied in structure and situation. Both stand clos gooo et d agricultural land. The other forts visited can only be classed as "castles," but in No. 4 vitrifiede th oldee b waly r tha ma ltypicae nth l masonry1 . No . is the only broch yet recorded on Islay. It is worthy of preservation both for its beautiful situation and its comparatively good condition. remainine Nonth f eo g castles stan lanthoughn w d o r cultiva dno fo t fi t - tioncroftd t therol bu ,e s, e8 ar betwee , 6 . , Nos18 3 , nd 2 . Nosan 7 1 . e admirablar 5 2 , 22y24 , suitee piratesb o dt ' strongholds, with coves hidde chasmn ni roce th kf o swher e coracles might shelter notes i t I -. worthy that Nos. 2, 3, 21, 24 are overlooked by high ground immediately in their rear.