An Caisteal

An Caisteal Dun

This dun is sited in a conspicuous position about 550 m SE of Bunessan village on the summit of a rocky crag projecting from the steep north face of Torr a Bhacain.  It can be accessed via a saddle on the south side, but on the north side the ground falls steeply to the Bunessan River.

The dun is irregular in shape, the inner court measuring between 8.2 m and 8.8 m in width.  The dry-stone wall varies in thickness between 4.0 m on the south side and 6.1 m on each side of the entrance, which is on the west side.  The entrance is narrow in the inner wall, i.e. 0.6 m, but the passage opens out on its north side to as much as 1.6 m before reaching the outer wall, making it roughly L-shaped in plan.  It is possible that  two large stone slabs, one found blocking the entrance where it increases in width and the other lying on the floor of the passage at its mouth, may have been used instead of a wooden door to close the entrance.  An out-ward facing revetment is evident intermittently around the south half if the perimeter.

                         Grid Reference NM 387 214