duntulm skye archaeology
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7 North Duntulm
Trotternish Peninsula
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Summary of the archaeological sites
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Location
7 North Duntulm is located on the Trotternish Peninsula, seven miles northeast of the
village of Uig on the Isle of Skye. The location is idyllic, situated just within the high tide
level on the south side of Port Gobhlaig in Balmacqueen on Kilmaluag Bay. A small burnempties into the bay on the east side of the property.
The property contains extensive Post Medieval settlement ruins separated at the centre by a
small water course. Cnoc a' Chlachain is a prominent ridge in the skyline, visible across the
gently rising landscape to the west-northwest. The undulating landscape to the south and east
is at present in use for animal grazing, and the shoreline borders the site to the north.
7 North Duntulm, Isle of Skye: Location maps
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Aerial image of 7 North Duntulm
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Archaeological and Historical Background
7 North Duntulm was located in Balmacqueen in the historical parish of Kilmuir, which,
according to the Old Statistical Account of Scotlandof the 1790s and theNew Statistical
Account of Scotlandof the 1830s, contained six so-called Danish forts (Dun-Scuddeburgh,
Liath, Bhannerain, Barplacaig, Tulm and Deirg). Indeed, the north half of Trotternish
Peninsula contains a wealth of ancient archaeological sites, from the Mesolithic rock shelter
atAn Corran (dating from 7500 BC) through to Duntulm Castle, former seat of the
MacDonalds of Sleat which was abandoned in the 18 th century. At 7 North Duntulm, there is
one prehistoric cairn located within the property and a second prehistoric cairn located a few
metres from the burn that runs southeast of the property.
Historical records and maps show that Balmacqueen had already been settled by the early
1500s, when the site of the church of St Moluag, 100m west of 7 North Duntulm, was in use.
The extensive archaeological remains at 7 North Duntulm are stone-built buildings which
once formed part of the township of Balmacqueen. Six buildings at 7 North Duntulm are first
recorded in the 1875-77 Ordnance Survey of Balmacqueen, although they are shown as
mostly unroofed. The farmstead at 7 North Duntulm was probably first occupied in the early-
mid 1800s.
Like many areas in the Highlands, Balmacqueen was affected by the changing economy in
the 19th century. The Old Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791-1799, gives interesting
insight into the way of life probably experienced by the primary occupants of the houses at 7
North Duntulm. Rev. Martin describes a parish population of 2065, who subsisted on corn,
barley and fishing (herring, cod, turbot, skate), practised animal husbandry and frequentlylived to the age of 80. He also describes the challenges of life in Kilmuir: corn planting
flourished but when the crop failed living conditions were dire. Sheep grazing was
disqualified due to the flatness of the terrain. The cost of labourers was high in proportion
to the earnings of the farmers and most of the young men at the time were leaving the parish,
to work in the south of the country where they could earn more money. Many families from
Balmacqueen emigrated to America. In 1823, seven crofts were occupied on Lord
Macdonald s land at Balmacqueen. Lord MacDonald sold the land in 1855, and this may be
the reason why the buildings at 7 North Duntulm were abandoned by their occupants for the
first time.
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Extract from the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6-inch map (1878)
Archaeological survey and excavation of 7 North Duntulm
An archaeological survey was conducted at 7 North Duntulm in July 2011 followed by
excavation in November 2011.
The survey identified two probable prehistoric cairns at 7 North Duntulm, likely burial cairns,
built to a similar size and shape and situated on opposing sides of the river overlooking
Kilmaluag Bay.
7 North Duntulm also contained two Post Medieval farmsteads, which had been re-used and
rebuilt over multiple periods of settlement.
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Prehistoric cairn at 7 North Duntulm
Prehistoric cairn near 7 North Duntulm (first cairn and Cnoc a
Chlachain in background)
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Post Medieval Farmstead, Site A
The western farmstead, Site A, consists of four main upstanding buildings, a row of houses
and byre structures linked by drystone walling and revetted into the hillslope. The well-
preserved byre, a typical Scottish stone-built barn for housing livestock, was built of
bonded beach cobbles with lime mortar and contained two well-preserved drains, or creeps,
capped with lintel stones, on the seaward wall.
Byre, building A3, facing SE showing one drain
Building A4, facing NNW, double-faced stone-built byre
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During the archaeological excavation, a trench was dug through building A4 to investigate its
use. Removal of the bulk of dumped material, manure, bailing twine, empty fertiliser bags
and the skeletal remains of at least two dead sheep, revealed the SW revetment wall and an
earlier internal division wall. The revetment wall comprised basalt boulders built into the
natural slope. The wall had failed at some stage in the past and appeared as a mix of
tumbled stone, wall core material and sediment.
The internal wall, double-faced and built of partially dressed stone, had an entrance through it
linking two cells of the building. The wall had been built on top of a rough surface of beach
cobbles which may have formed part of the original floor of the building. The size of the
building and the structural details uncovered during the excavation suggest that this was a
byre.
ESE-facing section through building A4, showing the revetmentwall and internal division wall
ESE-facing section through building A4, showing the revetmentwall and internal division wall
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Archaeologists drawing of the upstanding Post Medieval settlement ruins in Site A, 7 North Duntulm
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Post Medieval Farmstead, Site C
The eastern farmstead, Site C, also comprises four main upstanding buildings, a row of houses
and byre structures revetted into the hillslope. There may have been two phases of
construction to the buildings, as there is evidence of rebuilding of the walls and later reuse of
the byre for a stock pen. Building C4 would have been a typical Highland blackhouse . The
walls, of double-faced, drystone build, have rounded external corners and a drainage ditch at
the base of the sloped ground surface. The building, which originally would not have had
windows, would have been roofed with turf / peat penetrated by a single hole to allow smoke
from the central fire / hearth to escape.
Site C at 7 North Duntulm, facing ESE
Site C4, facing ENE, a well-built Scottish blackhouse
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The excavations carried out on building C4 were the most extensive, as the new house
proposed for this site would be sited directly over the existing stone-built house. Later
alterations to the house included the insertion of splayed windows, as well as their subsequent
blocking, insertion of an internal fireplace with iron grate and thickening of the NNW wall.
One trench was excavated to investigate a section of the front wall, part of the interior space ofthe building, the entrance and the area immediately outside the entrance leading towards the
foreshore.
Excavator removing NNW wall of Structure C4 (left)
Trench 2 looking ENE during initial cleaning (right)
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Within the entrance of the building, the archaeologists uncovered coarse slabbing which
extended for a short distance inside the structure, while outside the well-laid paving slabs
extended towards the foreshore and across the front of the building. The paving outside the
building and within the entrance passage displayed some evidence for modification and
phasing, with additional layers of paving slabs and small beach cobbles added through time.
Artefacts recovered from the area included glass, ceramics and corroded iron objects, allsuggested construction and use during the latter half of the 19th century AD and into the early
20th
century.
Excavation of the interior of the building, revealed a destruction layer consisting of charcoal,
the remains of burnt timbers (possibly from the roof), roofing slate and burnt iron, glass and
ceramics. The fragmented and complete remains of three whetstones were also recovered from
the surface of this deposit. It is most likely that this was the remains of a catastrophic fire,
marking the end of use of the building as a house. A stone-lined sink and slab-covered drain
formed part of the floor of the building. The drain extended through the entrance of thebuilding and under the paving outside towards the foreshore. The drain had not been cut in a
straight line from the interior of the building through the entrance, but meandered in a roughly
S-shaped track. Along some of this track, small upright slabs had been set into the natural
subsoil to each side of the capping slabs that covered the drain, possibly suggesting that the
slabs covering the drain formed the first phase of access to the building before the paving was
added at a later date.
Burnt deposits inside building C4, paving and drain
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Archaeologists plan of trench dug in building C4, showing house wallsand floor surfaces after initial excavation
Archaeologistsplan of trench dug in building C4, showing drain andpaved floor surfaces upon completion of excavation
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Archaeologists drawing of the upstanding Post Medieval settlement ruins in Site C
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Selection of small finds from Structure C4 including whetstones and ironobjects from the burnt destruction layer and a three-pence piece dated
1953 from the abandonment phase