Dùn Morbhaidh

Fort

Explorer Tom

Dùn Morbhaidh sits above Coll’s north-west coast with a view that could make even a fussy fort builder put down his measuring stick. The walls have mostly slipped away, so come for the rocky outlook and the stubborn scraps of stone, then let your imagination supply a lookout who insists every gull is an invading fleet. This was a fortified place on a coastal knoll near Cornaigbeag. An island archaeology account describes only scant wall remains on the summit, and the Scottish archaeological research record notes Iron Age decorated pottery from the site. The finds tell us people lived here, but not their names. I could appoint a chief with excellent gull-spotting skills; that is my invention. The pleasure of the place is its position. From the short grassy approach, the little rise suddenly opens a view along the rugged coast, and the remains make sense as part of that landscape. Do not expect high walls, rooms or a visitor centre. An old Coll account says the climb to the top is rough, and the current walking guide agrees that the last slope is rocky. The fort asks you to do a little of the work yourself. Walkhighlands gives a one-kilometre outing from the B8072 near grid reference NM 236 629, with no public transport to that starting point. The path crosses grassy machair and climbs rough ground; plan for changeable weather and keep dogs close around grazing animals. A small sandy beach is nearby. Leave the scant stones where they lie, and let the coast, rather than a made-up castle, finish the tale.

What is recorded here

Map note: The recorded spot for Dùn Morbhaidh is near Cornaigmore, Argyll and Bute, Scotland; it is a fort. The name has plenty of swagger; the map supplies the actual spot.

From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) w1115714513

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