sutherland-1911/02_153

Transcription

INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS, ETC., IN COUNTY OF SUTHERLAND. -- [Page] 105

PARISH OF KILDONAN.

The outer covering slab, and two others at 6' from the outside, alone
remain in position. The passage is full of débris, and no entrance to
a guard chamber is visible. From the interior, directly opposite the
entrance, a passage 4' long and 2' wide by 4' 2" high leads into a
chamber which opens to the left. The chamber is filled with débris,
but as far as visible is 5' 6" in length and 2' 7" in width. Opposite
it, to the right, the staircase rises southwards for a distance of about
15' between walls about 2' 6" apart. The steps are entirely covered
with débris. The greatest height of wall in the interior is 7' 3",
while the average height all round is not much less. The width of
the wall at this level is about 12' 6". The greatest height of wall
visible on the exterior above the ruins is 4' 6". The broch occupies
a most commanding position, which has been strengthened by
fortifications. The base of the hillock is encircled by a ditch some
23' wide and 9' deep below the top of the counterscarp, on the crest
of which, from the NW. end round to the E., is a rampart, some 14'
thick at base. At the N., on the E. of the entrance, a short outer
ditch runs parallel with the inner one for a distance of about 20', and
is some 22' wide and 6' deep. Some 50' from the extremity of the
ditch, on the W. side of the entrance, a small oval enclosure, measuring
interiorly about 17' x 12', is contained in the rampart. On the N.
the hillock is about 20' in height, and about half way down the scarp
there is cut a platform some 6' broad, with a parapet on the outside.
Towards the S. and SW. the ground falls sharply away towards the
strath, and the defences in these directions are less prominent. The
circle of the ditch is broken on the N. by the approach which
passes between its open ends, and is flanked by a mound between
the ditch and broch on the W. side (fig. 35 and Pl. III.).
O.S.M., SUTH., lxxix. Visited, 27th August 1909.

308. Broch, Suisgill. - About 2/3 m. above where the Suisgill Burn
enters the Helsmdale River, on the N. side of the strath, is situated
the Suisgill broch. It occupies the summit of a mound some 30' in
elevation above the river and sloping steeply towards it. Away from
the river bank on the E. and W. sides it has been protected by a
ditch, with a wall on the top of the scarp. This wall is about 18'
distant from the broch, except towards the river, where it is less.
On the S. an approach passes through the defences to the top of the
mound. To the E. of the approach an outer mound, some 12' broad
on base, runs for a short distance parallel with the main defence
at about 28' distant from the top of the counterscarp. The ditch is
about 34' in width, and at deepest 8' to 10' in present depth. Of the
broch itself little remains. It is greatly dilapidated, and a consider-
able portion of the N. wall has quite recently been removed. The
interior diameter has been 40', the wall on the N. 15' thick, and on
the S. or river side only 12'. The remains of a chamber are visible
on the S. Very slight remains of the wall faces exist on either
exterior or interior, and the entrance is not apparent. The outer
defences bear a close resemblance to those of the neighbouring broch
of Kilphedir. It is noteworthy that the structure is placed at a
narrow part of the strath, in the centre of the pass.
O.S.M., SUTH., lxvii. Visited, 16th September 1909.

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CorrieBuidhe- Moderator, June Lobban

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