gb0551ms-36-10-155

Transcription

[Page 155]
[continued from page 154]

[Margin] O.S. [Ordnance Survey] 1.
Dun Mhairtain

On a promontory whose precipitous cliffs
tower 100' or so above the ocean, situated
to the NE. [North East] of the village of Balligal and
on the W. [West] of where the burn of that name
enters the sea, are the foundations of a
castle or fort. A narrow neck, partially
excavated from either side so as to
reduce the width of the approach to 8'
connects it with the mainland. The
base of a wall some 17' in thickness crosses
the landward end of the fort. Beyond it
to seaward are the indefinite foundations
of a structure from the interior of which
a passage 3' wide and, at present, a couple
of feet in height built without mortar on
the sides and covered with flags runs
under the surface for a distance of 42'
and opens on the face of the cliff where
there is a slight ledge some 4' below the
upper level. A depression at the inner
extremity suggests that the passage may
have been 10' or 12' longer. It is difficult
to conjecture the use of this passage as the
cliff below it seems quite precipitous but
it must be borne in mind that centuries
of buffeting by wind and wave may have

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