Description

This monument consists of a range of structures of differing dates, including a prehistoric burial chamber, two cave sites, a cup marked stone, two prehistoric forts and a medieval settlement.

The burial chamber was excavated in 1968-9 and now consists of 4 massive stones forming a cist, with traces of an associated cairn. A boulder which is built into the foundations of a medieval house has two cup marks on its W face. Dunagoil fort is about 91m by 23m in size and occupies a headland. The defences consisted of a timber- laced stone rampart, vitrified after catching fire. Traces of entrances have been found on the S and E side. The excavation produced a range of finds of late Bronze Age and Iron Age date. A cave just at the W foot of the fort has produced evidence of occupation, possibly dating to the same period as the occupation of the fort. A second cave to the NE of the fort produced similar material. Little Dunagoil fort is located on a crag and excavations in 1958-61 demonstrated occupation from the Bronze Age up to the thirteenth century. The fort itself produced artefacts and evidence of occupation and an associated cave produced a shell midden and hearth. To the NE of the fort are two rectangular building foundations of medieval date, one of which incorporates the cup marked rock described above. One of these building foundations was disturbed by having a vehicle driven across it during 1990. A turf and stone wall runs around the E side of the hill and partly encloses the site. To the SE of the site are a group of about a dozen field clearance cairns.

The area to be scheduled measures a maximum of 260m N-S by 250m E-W,

to include the burial chamber, caves, forts, cup marked rock and medieval settlement and an area around in which associated remains

may survive, as shown in red on the attached map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Source: Historic Environment Scotland