stirling-1963-vol-1/05_117

Transcription

No. 87 -- DUNS -- No. 89
87. Dun, Wester Craigend. The northern face of
Sauchie Craig is a cliff which, for a distance of a little
over half a mile, borders a narrow haugh on the right
bank of the Bannock Burn between Wester Craigend
farmhouse to the E. and the old limekilns near Touch-
adam Quarry to the W. From its W. extremity eastwards
for a distance of 740 yds. the cliff rises uniformly to a level
of about 100 ft. above that of the haugh, but beyond this
it begins to lose height and finally dies out altogether at
a point near the farmhouse. The dun (Fig. 21) is
situated on a low rocky knoll close to the brink of the
cliff at a height of 400 ft. O.D. and at a distance of
360 yds. W. of the farmhouse, just at the point where the
cliff begins to decrease in height.
The remains consist of a ruinous and fragmentary
stone wall, from 8 ft. to 10 ft. in thickness, which encloses
the surface of the rocky knoll. Numerous facing-stones
still in situ to heights of one or two courses indicate that
the wall ran in a straight line SE. for a distance of 45 ft.
from a point close to the cliff-edge and then turned
through E. and NE., in an arc about 50 ft. in length, to

[Plan Inserted]
Fig. 21. Dun, Wester Craigend (No. 87)

reach the entrance. The original width of the entrance
cannot now be measured because its S. side is lost, but
both corner-stones of the N. side remain. North of
the entrance the wall runs N. and W. in an arc which
follows the contour of the knoll and can be traced by
intermittent facing-stones for a distance of 30ft. Beyond
this point only tumbled stones appear, but the contour
of the knoll suggests that the wall ran thence in a straight
line for 55 ft. to join the W. sector, at an acute angle,
close to the cliff-edge. If this was so, the maximum internal
dimension of the dun was 61 ft., from WNW. to ESE.,
and the maximum transverse dimension 47 ft.
The facing-stones that are visible are well laid,
measuring up to 3 ft. in length by up to 2 ft. in breadth,
and the core of the wall appears to have been composed
of rubble. The interior is featureless.

767906 -- NS 79 SE (unnoted) -- 7 May 1953

88. Dun, Wallstale. This dun is situated 160 yds. N. of
Wallstale farmhouse, on a spur which projects south-
wards from Gillies Hill and at a height of a little over
400 ft. O.D. It is almost circular on plan (Fig. 22),
measuring about 45 ft. in diameter within a ruined stone
wall some 11 ft. in thickness. Except on the ESE. side,
where the entrance was probably situated, the wall can be

[Plan Inserted]
Fig. 22. Dun, Wallstale (No. 88)

traced continuously by patches of rubble core, and round
the E. half outer facing-stones are visible up to a
maximum height of four courses. In contrast, the inner
face is only exposed for a short distance on the ENE.
The interior of the dun is featureless.
On the NW. side of the dun is protected by a rock-cut
ditch of substantial proportions which traverses the spur;
it measures 26 ft. in width at the top and the scarp is
5 ft. 6 in. in depth.

774909 -- NS 79 SE (unnoted) -- 7 May 1953

89. Dun, Craigton. This structure, 540 yds. N. of the
site of Craigton House, is situated at a height of 850 ft.
O.D. on an isolated rocky knoll which protrudes from
the slope leading up from the valley of the Endrick
Water to Double Craigs. The main feature (Fig. 23)
is a subrectangular enclosure which measures 48 ft.
from NW. to SE. by 42 ft. transversely within a ruined
stone wall originally about 10 ft. in thickness. A few
large outer facing-stones remain in situ, most of them in
the NW. sector where they form a continuous stretch
33 ft. in length. Two stones which are probably authentic

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