MHG4156 - Fort - Eilean A'Ghaill
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (2)
- FORT (Early Bronze Age to Pictish - 2400 BC? to 900 AD?)
- VITRIFIED STONE? (Early Bronze Age to Pictish - 2400 BC? to 900 AD?)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
NM68SW 2 6269 8253.
(Area NM 627 825) On Eilean na Ghoil, is a fine example of a raised beach on top of which are the remains of a fort with sporadic vitrifaction, with traces of vitrifaction on the low beach as well.
A B M'Hardy 1906.
At NM 6269 8253 occupying the cliff-girt summit of Eilean a' Ghaill, are the remains of a fort, so denuded that its precise shape, overall measurements and wall thickness cannot be ascertained. The footings of the outer wall face can be seen for c. 4.0m in the W, and the inner face can be seen for c. 3.0m in the NW, but no vitrifaction is evident. The extreme N end is isolated by a curving tumbled cross-wall, and within the enclosure thus formed is a stone-lined well. The only possible entry to the fort is up a narrow declivity in the SE.
At the base of the cliffs to the NE of the fort is a gulley running NW-SE, enclosed on the NW,NE and SE by traces of a wall, and in the SW by the cliffs. The outer face is visible in the NW arc. Two lumps of vitrified rock are visible in the SE wall which blocks access from this quarter, and appears to be the only vitrifaction in the whole complex. The interior is strewn with masses of rubble stones forming no intelligible pattern.
Visited by OS (N K B) 1 June 1970.
This site was included in the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland online database. See link below for site entry. <1>
A piece of vitrified stone from Eilean-a-Ghail was acquired by the NMS in 1905 from Colonel McHardy. It was one of eight pieces collected from the walls of various forts. Acc. No. HH 85. <2>
Sources/Archives (5)
- --- SHG1331 Text/Publication/Article: McHardy, Lt. Col. A B. 1906. On vitrified forts, with results of experiments as to the probable manner in which their vitrification may have been produced Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 40 1905-6, p.136-50. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Vol. 40. 136-50. 148.
- --- SHG288 Text/Publication/Article: Cotton, M A. 1954. 'British camps with timbered-laced ramparts', Archaeol J, Vol. 111, pp 26-105. 76.
- --- SHG43 Text/Publication/Article: Nisbet, H C. 1975. 'A geological approach to vitrified forts, part II: bedrock and building stone', Science and Archaeology, Vol 15, pp 3-16. p 12, no. 30.
- <1> SHG27950 Interactive Resource/Online Database: Lock, G. & Ralston, I.. 2017. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. SC2540.
- <2> SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. HH 85.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NM 6268 8253 (100m by 100m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NM68SW |
| Civil Parish | ARISAIG AND MOIDART |
| Geographical Area | LOCHABER |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/SC2540.html (Link to online Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland site entry)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/22533 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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