Park at Trumpan car park (NG223612).
The walk to the broch is around 10 km/6 miles, fairly flat and mostly along a clear track but, as usual boggy, in places.
Details:
The photograph from Canmore https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1470265dates from around 1921 and shows rather more stonework than we were able to see on Tuesday,21st September. I hope someone else may be able to contribute a modern equivalent.
Dun Borrafiach is a scheduled monument – but
not sure at all that this means much in terms of conservation.
The broch is described by Donaldson Blyth[1]
as being in a ruinous state but he says access is along an easy pleasant walk with fine views of the Little Minch and
Outer Hebrides (weather permitting one assumes). He forgot to mention that it can be exceedingly
muddy – or as one of our party said “wet even when it is dry”. Along the way, there is a footbridge across a
wide burn which is in just as ruinous a state as the broch – rotting pieces of
wood with gaping holes – fortunately there are some strong steel girders
underneath so if you chose your crossing spot carefully there is little danger
of it collapsing but for the unwary there is the danger of putting your foot
through one of the gaping holes.
The 1921 plan shown on Canmore ( https://canmore.org.uk/site/71398/skye-dun-borrafiach) reveals very little detail
when compared to other plans we have seen.
There is no mention of any excavations.
Miers [2]suggests
it dates from first millennium BC. That gives plenty of scope as most brochs
can be placed in this timescale.
This part of the island is now uninhabited but near the broch
there is ample evidence of earlier settlements.
Ruined dykes and long houses –the outlines seemed to indicate structures
rather larger than the average blackhouse.
Canmore also mentions a nearby hut circle and even a kiln but I hadn’t
realised this before our trip so we did not search for these structures...
As for the broch itself, Canmore tells us that
Dun Borrafiach
occupies a rocky outcrop overlooking the shallow basin of the Borrafiach Burn.
The broch measures 16.5m in overall diameter with the outer face still standing
to a height of 2.7m on the S half in eight courses including many massive
blocks;
The blocks are indeed massive and the building work is quite
similar to what we have seen on other Skye brochs. It really is quite difficult to imagine how
they manoeuvred such massive blocks without the aid of modern machinery. Such thoughts always lead onto a discussion
about whether the brochs were a status symbol or were they for defence. The time and manpower required to gather
these massive stones and then build the broch would certainly not have been
available in times of war or frequent skirmishes. It was commented that they might have been anticipating problems in their future.
Canmore goes on to say...
At a point about 0.8m from the outside there is an upright jamb-stone
rising some 1.1m above the rubble. The jamb-stone is 0.5m broad and 0.13m
thick.
 |
| Jambstone |
 | |
| Jamb stone and entrance |
We did find traces of the intramural gallery but unfortunately
I have no photos of this. Hope one of
the others will add some images later.
Talking of images - one final point before we leave Borrafiach - hitherto unseen evidence of iron age art - seen on one of the tumbled stones near the broch wall:
[1]
Donaldson-Blyth, Ian, (1995) In search of prehistoric Skye. Thistle Press
[2]
Miers, Mary (2008) Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide, Rutland Press
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