Caisteal Grugaig -(Dun Totaig) the witch of the north
NG86692508
Factual details below -- for details of our visit on 27/6/17 skip to visit
Park at Letterfearn - opposite post box or drive further on twards Totaig where there are a few places to park. The broch is a short walk, along good paths, from Totaig House at the end of the road.
This is third of the duns/brochs we have visited bearing the same name; Dun Grugaig Skye (witch of the west) and Dun Grugaig Glenelg (witch of the east)
Caisteal Grugaig, sometimes referred to as Dun Totaig, stands on the hill Faire an Duine, which is Gaelic for watch place of the man.(1) The hill has excellent views over Loch Alsh, Loch Duich and Loch Long.
Grugaig means a wretched, gloomy or sullen woman or sometimes a witch. Please note that the references to witch of the north, west or east are purely my own invention.
The broch is said to have been the residence of Grugaig the witch, mother of two giants Telve and Todder after whom the Glenelg brochs Telve and Trodden are named.(2) Another story says Caisteal Grugaig was named after an old woman who could raise storms to wreck ships and cast spells on milk. (3) On the other hand perhaps it was the same woman!
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| From AOC report |
A description of the "clearing out" of the broch in the 19th century can be found at
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_031//31_086_089.pdf
This is a fascinating document as it also makes reference to a vitrified wall at Eilean Donan, cup marked stones, and road markers for General Wade's roads (together with costing for these roads which indicate that between £5 and £10,000 per yer was spent on building these roads --sadly the equivalent amount of money is not spent these days!!)
In 2010, AOC archaeology did a laser scan of the broch and the results are available in video format here: This video is far more informative than any description I could write.
Caisteal Grugaig broch: laser scan survey from AOC Archaeology on Vimeo.
https://vimeo.com/17634384
There is some evidence of other iron age settlement nearby: At Òb na Leòbaig,small bay of the flounder (1) there is a wheelhouse (NG 870 254). A dun is marked on the map south of Letterfearn. Eilean Donan castle, across the loch,was originally built in 13th century - could it have been built on the site of an earlier structure?
References:
1) translation courtesy of Jake King of Ainman-Àite na h'Alba.
2) http://www.lochalsh.co.uk/caisteal_grugaig.shtml
3) http://www.skye.co.uk/images/resources/lochalsh-leaflet.pdf
http://her.highland.gov.uk/hbsmrgatewayhighland/DataFiles/LibraryLinkFiles/193545.pdf
