Condition

6
PROMONTORY FORT
Iron Age
72044
MHG608
Highland

Description

It consists of a cliff-girt headland cut off by well-constructed drystone wall, some 62ft long, 12.5ft thick, and about 4ft high. Somewhat to east of centre, wall is pierced by a passage with door-checks, door-sill and bar-hole. 'At inner end of passage, and to left, some 4ft back from it, is an oval chamber, measuring c 10ft by 7ft'. A hearth defined by flags set on end, and containing ashes, food refuse and fragments of pottery, was located in rear of entrance. A drain passed from interior outwards below floor of the entrance passage. Site excavated by Sir Francis Tress Barry. RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910. This is apparently a promontory dun, more closely allied to those of Western Isles than to any local site. R W Feachem 1963. This is a ruined dun. It is generally as described above except that this east bar hole and door-check have been destroyed and hearth was not evident at investigation. Surveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (RD) 14th September, 1965. A blockhouse-type structure on an L-shaped promontory whose seaward section lies parallel with mainland, which is slightly higher (of Dun Whairtein: NC86NE 1). Unlike others of its type on mainland, Sgarbach appears to have been a complete barrier across promontory; and while it is not known if it contained a ground gallery, it is massive enough to have done so. The defence now appears as a broad mound across isthmus and various mounds on either side of rampart are probably excavation spoil. It is probably to be dated not much before the 1st century BC, if not within it. R G Lamb 1980. Very badly damaged by stone removal and collapse. C E Batey 1982. Visit 05.05.17 Generally as described. No sign of cliff slippage or threat from erosion.

Location

337290.00
963750.00
27700
58.5572662
-3.0794201

Submitted photographs

Image Date Caption User
View from interionr, wall at entrance passage 05/05/2017 View from interionr, wall at entrance passage training1
View from interionr, wall at entrance passage

Submitted updates

Update id Date User
2949 05/05/2017 CaithnessCZAS
Tidal state Low
Site located? Yes
Proximity to coast edge Coast edge
Coastally eroding? not eroding
Visibility above ground Limited visibility (partial remains)
Access accessible - difficult terrain
Description It consists of a cliff-girt headland cut off by well-constructed drystone wall, some 62ft long, 12.5ft thick, and about 4ft high. Somewhat to east of centre, wall is pierced by a passage with door-checks, door-sill and bar-hole. 'At inner end of passage, and to left, some 4ft back from it, is an oval chamber, measuring c 10ft by 7ft'. A hearth defined by flags set on end, and containing ashes, food refuse and fragments of pottery, was located in rear of entrance. A drain passed from interior outwards below floor of the entrance passage. Site excavated by Sir Francis Tress Barry. RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910. This is apparently a promontory dun, more closely allied to those of Western Isles than to any local site. R W Feachem 1963. This is a ruined dun. It is generally as described above except that this east bar hole and door-check have been destroyed and hearth was not evident at investigation. Surveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (RD) 14th September, 1965. A blockhouse-type structure on an L-shaped promontory whose seaward section lies parallel with mainland, which is slightly higher (of Dun Whairtein: NC86NE 1). Unlike others of its type on mainland, Sgarbach appears to have been a complete barrier across promontory; and while it is not known if it contained a ground gallery, it is massive enough to have done so. The defence now appears as a broad mound across isthmus and various mounds on either side of rampart are probably excavation spoil. It is probably to be dated not much before the 1st century BC, if not within it. R G Lamb 1980. Very badly damaged by stone removal and collapse. C E Batey 1982. Visit 05.05.17 Generally as described. No sign of cliff slippage or threat from erosion

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