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MHG5773 - Fort - Dun Skudiburgh

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Dun Skudiburgh (NR)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1903)

This fort occupies a conspicuous knoll near the shore 1 mile N of Uig Bay. It is oval on plan, measuring axially 150' x 120' within a ruined wall c. 10' thick. It is covered on the E side by a similar wall 320' long, and on the N by two walls, the outer of which stops short of the long wall to leave an entrance gap.
A small drop-shaped dun measuring internally 34' x 24' lies on the E arc of the ruined wall near the probable position of the entrance of the latter. The wall of the dun varies between 9'-12' thick.
R W Feachem 1963; RCAHMS 1928, visited 1921.

Dun Skudiburgh, a partly vitrified fort, overlaid by a dun, is generally as planned by the RCAHMS. There is an additional outwork on the W; it turns E on a change of slope, then S where it is overlaid by a more recent wall. There are remains of extra defence on the E where steep rock faces outside the main outwork have been joined by stretches of walling. There are traces of what may be a similar blocking wall on the W below the main fort wall, but this is confused by more recent walls in the same area. Lumps of vitrifaction were noted in the main wall of the fort in the W arc.
A medial stabilising wall is visible round the W and S sides of the dun, varying from c. 0.7m to c. 1.0m in from the outer wall face. The entrance is not evident, but was probably from the E, where there is a gap in the tumble.
Visited by OS (R L) 8 September 1971.

The site was visited in April 2015 by S Wood and I Ralston as part of a general survey of forts on Skye as part of the fieldwork for the former’s PhD research: Occupying a position of some strength on a conspicuous rocky knoll, Dun Skudiburgh, a dun sitting on top of a vitrified fort, has perhaps been underrepresented by previous investigators. At least two different phases are visible in the dun, with considerably poorer quality dry stone walling including many smaller stones evident to the W, S and SE.

A poor quality wall running parallel to the main dun wall c1m outside it in the W and S has little structural integrity in itself and is likely to be comparatively recent. The vitrified fort is more complex than depicted in the RCAHMS plan (1928). Two additional lines of defence were observed on the steep E side, the outer more easily discernible with a clearly visible outer face up to three courses high in places. The inner is only identifiable in a few patches up to two courses high.

The enclosure identified by RCAHMS in the NW appears more likely to be a bank running parallel to the fort wall. Another rampart leading N away from the N-facing entrance
is probably also a later field bank, possibly a continuation of this feature. An additional area is enclosed by a wall in the W. The OS previously identified this rampart as a probable later wall, but no stratigraphic evidence was noted for this to be the case. It defends a steep but accessible slope into a small plateau surrounded by sheer cliffs falling to the sea.

In total there are three apparent lower enclosures that may be contemporary with either the fort or the dun. Vitrified stone was observed on several stones in the inner fort wall. Two rocky beaches, one to the N and one to the S are less than 200m away from the fort and offer comparatively excellent access to and from the sea. <1>

This site was included in the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland online database. See link below for site entry. <2>

Aspects of the site are discussed by S Wood in his PhD dissertation. <3>

GIS spatial data created 2018 based on OS Master Map. <4>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 3739 6474 (94m by 173m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG36SE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	KILMUIR

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