Duntulm Skye Archaeology

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West Coast Archaeological Services

7 North Duntulm

Trotternish Peninsula

Isle of Skye, Scotland

Summary of the archaeological sites


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7 North Duntulm 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

Duntulm Skye Archaeology

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