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MHG5263 - Dun Raisaburgh, Skye

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NG56SW 1 5032 6427.

(NG 5032 6427) Dun Raisaburgh (NR)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1904)

At Raisaburgh, some 400 yards SSW of Loch Mealt, is a narrow rocky ridge running almost due N-S, and rising from 30' - 50' above the surrounding moorland. Near its S end, though not on the highest point, are the scanty remains of a broch. The wall is broken down on the E.side, but for the remaining part of its circumference the outer face is still traceable; the inner face is quite indistinguishable, being either destroyed or covered with debris. On the S two or three courses of the outer face remain, on the W only the foundation course is traceable, but on the N about 2' of building appears above the debris which has accumulated at the bottom of the wall to a depth of some two or three feet. The external diameter of the building, which is only measurable N-S, is 53'3". A length of 22' of gallery in the thickness of the wall on the N arc is clearly defined, its outer wall reaching a height of 3' in places. The entrance cannot be identified.
An outer defence crosses the ridge some 32'6" S of the main building. It takes the form of a stone wall some 6" thick, now practically reduced to the foundation. This wall appears to have returned northwards along the eastern edge of the ridge as far as the chief structure, but on the west side, which is higher and steeper at this part, there is no appearance of a wall. Some 25' N of the broch there are very faint indications of another outer wall across the ridge.
Listed as a Broch (Graham 1949).
RCAHMS 1928; A Graham 1949.

Dun Raisaburgh, a broch as described above. In poor condition.
Visited by OS (A S P) 25 April 1961.

NG56 2 DUN RAISABURGH
NG/5032 6427
This probable broch in Kilmuir, Skye, stands on a narrow rocky ridge about 30m wide and 400m south-west of Loch Mealt (and Dun Grianan, above: NG56 1) and which rises 10.7 - 15.3m (35 - 50 ft) above the moor. The scanty remains of the structure are near the south of the end of this ridge but not on the highest point. The east side is broken down but there may be 1.53m (5 ft) of masonry standing on the north side, the lowest 60 - 90cm (2 - 3 ft) of which are buried below debris. A length of wall gallery is visible for 6.7m (22 ft) on the north-east arc and its outer wall is 90cm (3 ft) high in places [4, plan].
The entrance passage may be on the south-east where two parallel faces can be seen within the wall. The inner face of the broch wall is visible only in the south (at about 7 o'clock) for a short distance with traces of an irregular oval cell behind this [4, plan]. A lintelled doorway gives access from the interior to this cell which seems to have been exposed fairly recently. Itmay also be a guard cell for the broch entrance passage [4].
An outer wall 1.83m (6 ft) thick, and now reduced to foundation level, can be seen 9.9m (32.5 ft) south of the main building. It runs across the ridge and seems to return north on the east edge towards the broch. There are faint signs of another outer wall 7.6m (25 ft) north of the broch. More details of these features are given by Swanson [4].
Dimensions: external diameter from north to south 16.24m (53 ft 3 in) [2], or 17m [4]. The wall is about 3.2-3.4m thick on the south [4].
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. NG 56 SW 1: 2. RCAHMS 1928, 169, no. 540: 3. MacSween 1984-85, 44, no. 20 and fig. 20: 4. Swanson (ms) 1985, 822-24 and plan. <1>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5031 6428 (70m by 70m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG56SW
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	KILMUIR

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