Dun Eiphinn

Dun Eiphinn, Gometra

This fort lies on the south shore of the island of Gometra, about 600 m SSE of Gometra House.  It occupies the summit of a prominent rock stack and overlooks the shore.  The south-east rock-face of the stack is vertical and rises to a height of 17 m, but it’s height decreases to 5 m on the north-west side.

The fort is irregular in shape, the wall following the contour of the summit edge.  The internal enclosure measures 61 m by a maximum of 15 m.  The wall has been largely destroyed except on the north-west side where a considerable stretch of the outer face remains, together with a band of core rubble.  Where it is best preserved, four thin courses of stone remain to a height of 0.8 m.  The entrance is on the north at the lowest point of the rock-face.

At the south-west end of the interior of the fort turf-covered foundations of a rectangular enclosure can be seen.  These are relatively recent.

On the north-west side of the stack, below the rock face, the fort entrance was protected by an outwork consisted of two independent lengths of wall.  The northern wall runs obliquely from the cliff below the fort wall across the flank of the stack almost to the level ground at its base.  The maximum height if the outer face is 0.8 m in four courses of stone and, based on the amount of rubble remaining, its estimated width is 2 m.  The southern wall is visible for about 7.6 m and remains as a band of rubble with short lengths of outer face protruding.  Originally, it probably abutted the cliff to the WSW and also ran further northwards.

                         Grid Reference NM 358 402