Dun Sleadale Part 1

Some background information on Dun Sleadale in prearation for our field visit on 28/2/17.

Photo by Su who visited Dun Sleadale exactly a year ago - hope we get some blue sky too! For more photos of Su's visit see her blog:

http://stayathome2010.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/wednesday-1230-pm-dun-sleadale-broch.html

 






The location of this broch is intriguing and quite different from others we have seen.  Quite a way from the coast and with no clear line of view to the coast nor, so far as I can see just now, to any other brochs.

The most recent field survey was by Euan Mackie in  2007 (see canmore: https://canmore.org.uk/event/587050)

He describes it as

“probably ground-galleried It stands in a particularly interesting situation, on a rocky knoll about 160m (550 ft) above sea level and up on a steep hillside about half a mile from cultivated land; the knoll itself rises from a level terrace…….” farmland is on the flat seaward end of Glen Oraid, a fine, isolated, V-shaped glaciated valley running down from high moorland to a curved sandy beach in a bay bounded at both ends by high cliffs. Thus the valley bottom, limited in area to about 0.25 square miles and containing the village of Talisker, is completely isolated by mountain and moor. The farmland is green and fertile, in striking contrast to the surrounding moor, and is formed of a thick deposit of alluvial soil which has presumably washed down from the surrounding land over many millennia. Marks of old rig-and-furrow cultivation are very clear near the sea when viewed from the moors above, and this suggests that the low ground was cultivated in Iron Age times also.

The broch overlooks this small stretch of cultivable land, and it is difficult to resist the conclusion that it was intimately connected with the Iron Age farmers who presumably used it. Moreover there are steep slopes and a difficult burn gully between the farmland and the broch which would have meant a journey of at least twenty minutes up from the fields below. This situation might suggest that – at this site at least – any danger was expected from the sea; as with many another Hebridean brochs a land attack sweeping down on to the farmland from the mountains would cut the villagers off from their refuge, assuming that they lived beside the fields. The broch itself is out of sight of the sea but a short extra climb of about 60m (200 ft) gives an extensive view of the western sea approaches; a lookout there could give ample warning of a raid.”

Plan from Swanson - see reference below

The elder trees shown on Carol Swanson's plan are now sadly withered and probably quite dead.

What we need to look for on our visit (from Euan Mackie on Canmore):

1. The entrance -on the east-north-east . 2 ft 10 in (86cm) wide at the exterior, which is unlintelled.  Several lintels are still in position further in and the door-frame is apparent
2.  A fine scarcement of the ledge-type is preserved in the 2-4 o'clock arc … (I can never work out what Mackie means when he refers to positions by the clock 2-4?? Is that NW to SE?)
3. Another stretch of gallery, or a cell with a few lintels in position, just clockwise of the main entrance at 7 o'clock; there are several courses of stonework exposed under the roof and in 1915 the outer face stood 8 ft (2.4m) high above the ground outside These lintels are much higher than those roofing the entrance and the gallery must technically be an upper one.

It is also worth looking at the excellent detailed description offered by Carol Swanson:

https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/ handle/1842/19332

Dun Suladale - 2

Seven souls braved the foul weather forecast on 31st January to visit Suledale.  As usual the weather was nowhere near as bad as the forecast.

Iron age lookout (photo Iain Dick)

It had been a wet few days previously and the route from track to broch was quite muddy in places - slips were inevitable on the muddy edge of the burn - the first person to slip went back into the bank of the burn - the second - not to be outdone -  decided to swim backstroke in the burn - sorry no photos of that!  In spite of being wet through before even getting to the broch, she carried on - and gets lots and lots of brownie points for that.

Iain's photo of fairy

Close examination of the broch revealed that the fairy - spotted at the reccie - was still in residence - damaged wings had prevented her fleeing - or perhaps it is simply an enchanted broch!






We could clearly see all the aspects mentioned in Canmore/AOC report.


1) there is clearly a cell to the right of the entrance - nicely corbelled but full of rubble and it appears to have been accessed from the entrance passage as a lintel is visible very low down






2) There is evidence of walling above the entrance which the AOC report describes as the curved end of a cell or gallery.  We felt that the roof of the cell to the right of the entrance would have been higher than the floor of this cell/gallery so had a few questions about this.  did it simply go over the entrance and no further?  where was the access?  

su's blog 

shows a photo of this.

Canmore 
https://canmore.org.uk/site/11143/skye-dun-suladale
describes a door check on either side of the entrance - 5 - 6 " deep (in 1921), Mackie in 2007 (also on Canmore site) says:

the 2015 AOC report says:

 We believed that we could see possible bar holes - but to date I have not got any photos of these.



 

Dun Suladale

Dun Suledale (17/1/17)also written as Suladale
NG 3744 5255

Directions

A track, marked on the OS map, leads S off the A850 Dunvegan-Portree Road.  

Apparently the land where the broch is situated is a grouse moor so visiting in the winter is a good idea and visiting in summer, after the glorious twelfth, is probably a very bad idea.

Although not marked on the map, once you pass through the gates at the beginning of the track, it appears to branch off in three directions.  Take the track on the right, heading south.

Follow this excellent track for around a mile.  The broch will become visible on the left.  Continue on the track until almost level with the broch then set off over the rough, heather covered and rather boggy moorland.   Leaving the main track too early is not recommended as this will mean more boggy ground and watery burns to cross.

The broch

 The name Suledale (Suladale), according to Forbes, may mean Dun of the solan geese (see post on placenames) Solan geese are northern gannets.  I am no bird expert but I have only seen gannets right on the coast.  This broch is not that close to the coast.  So is the name origin wrong or is this perhaps the name of the tribe who built the broch?  Certainly some bronze age/iron age tribes apparently used animal names, almost like a "totem"...cf Epidii (supposedly related to horse god - tribe in Islay)
 

 The broch is in better condition than many we have visited.  The stones of the walls are very even in size and shape.  At least two "guard cells" are visible as well as a short flight of steps.  

Stairs

Cell in NE

The "passageway" to the entrance

There is some evidence of an outer wall and there are two lines of stones forming a passageway from that outer wall to the broch entrance.   Mackie seems to imply that this may not be original.... " a passage through the rubble to the broch entrance has been cleared here in modern times" (https://canmore.org.uk/site/11143/skye-dun-suladale)



 In summer 2015 AOC Archaeology did a survey of Dun Suledale using laser scanning – their results offer a far better description of the broch than I could attempt so just follow the link:

http://her.highland.gov.uk/hbsmrgatewayhighland/DataFiles/LibraryLinkFiles/292815.pdf

From AOC report

Survey plan from AOC report

In 1948, Mrs Edward Hilleary of Edinbane donated a few items, apparently found at/near Dun Suledale, to the British museum - the question marks on the datings are as written in British Museum Catalogue.

1.      Small sub-spherical stone bead, flattened at perforation. Traces of red colouring.  No image available for this one.  The description at the museum helpfully assigns the bead to “Neolithic? Bronze age? Iron age?”

2. Copper alloy spiral ring; made of thin strip forming four coils, and tapering to point at either end. Early Iron Age ? Late Bronze Age? 
   
   http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?searchText=Dun+suledale

3. Stone polisher, oval, flattened through use. Neolithic? Bronze age? Again no image available

Such finds would seem to indicate that this area was inhabited long before the broch was built.

This blog will be updated after our visit on 31/1/17 and improved by better photographs - taken by more skilled photographers than I am.

Continues : https://u3a-skye-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/dun-suladale-2.html

Dun Ringill

NG 562171

visited 26/7/2016

 



Directions – an easy walk along a clearly defined coastal path.  There is a large layby marked P on the map at NG545172.  From this point it is an easy walk, turning right at the minor road at Kilmarie, down towards Kilmarie house, crossing the river at the bridge just before the house, from here a clearly defined coastal path which leads very close to the Dun.  Bracken and nettles may obscure the site in summer.  It is possible for the more adventurous to cross the river via stepping stones, nearer to the sea.

 


Looking at the OS map, one of the first things that strikes me is the number of Duns/brochs along this coastline.  While we cannot know exactly when they were built, it is reasonable to assume they were built and still all in reasonable condition towards the end of the first century AD.  Must have been an impressive sight.

Plan from Canmore

When I tried to find out a bit more about Dun Ringill, google just wanted to tell me about Jethro Tull. Their song, Dun Ringill was written in 1979 by group member Ian Anderson who owned the Strathaird Estate from 1978 to 1994 when it was purchased by  the John Muir Trust.

In the wee hours I'll meet you
Down by Dun Ringill
Oh, and we'll watch the old gods play

 

RCHMS classify this site as a Dun, (1928) Mackie suggests it is a semi broch (1965). Harding suggested it was a circular broch – part of which had fallen over the cliff. (https://canmore.org.uk/site/11431/skye-dun-ringill).  By my own personal classification, I have decided it is a dun, but with architectural aspects in common with a broch.. so"semi-broch" is maybe an acceptable description  - although this term is no longer fashionable. I would guess (in the absence of any firm data to prove me wrong) that this structure is earlier than most "true" brochs but later than the promontory forts where a slightly curved wall was built across the neck of the promontory (e.g Rubh an Dunain or nearby Dun Grugaig) .  Maybe they were experimenting with the concept of galleries, cavity walls and intra mural cells within an almost circular structure.  On the other hand it could simply be the location that dictated the form of the structure.

There are no records of excavation but the site has been re-used in later times which complicates its definition.  There is evidence of medieval/post medieval mortar in some of the lower levels.

According to Mary Miers, quoted on canmore, the structure was  “ refashioned c.14th century as the first residence of the Mackinnon chiefs in Skye (later abandoned for Kyleakin); remains of two medieval lime-mortared buildings in the curtilage. This was one of the six 'castells' on the island listed by Dean Monro in the mid-16th century.” (https://canmore.org.uk/site/11431/skye-dun-ringill )

 One of the most fascinating aspects is the remains of a cell within the South wall.  A curved and corbelled section is visible.  This was apparently part of a large cell, the outer wall having fallen over the cliff.

Curved wall of possible  intra mural cell

Entrance

The original walls remain but the lintels and walling above the original entrance have been removed (and probably recycled in constructing the newer, inner tower).  The combined entrance became quite long and awkward, with a slope which seems to bring you out into the middle of the new construction.

Curved wall seen from further back

The best photos and some of the wording has been blatantly copied from Su's personal blog http://stayathome2010.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/terrific-tuesday.html