A rough boulder causeway reaches an isolated rock at the south end of Loch Ardbhair. An Dun is probably a broch (an Iron Age drystone round tower), an Iron Age drystone roundhouse tower, though its small size and missing wall chambers have made that identification cautious.
The structure stands on the eastern shore of a sea inlet and is only approachable at low tide. Surveyors in 1911 found a poor, dry-built circular building with rubble hiding much of the outer wall, while a 1980 appraisal judged it more likely to be a broch than another kind of dun.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
An Dun was built in the Iron Age as a broch or closely related dun on an isolated coastal rock.
A 1911 survey recorded the structure as poor, with no clear chambers or galleries in the walls.
The same survey noted that the stones were not carefully selected and laid, and small angular fragments filled many gaps.
A later 1980 appraisal questioned the broch identification because of the small size and lack of visible intramural chambers.
On balance, the 1980 appraisal still considered An Dun more likely to be a broch.
The monument was scheduled on 14 October 1938.
Connections
-
Loch Ardbhair
Sea-inlet setting of the broch or dun.
-
Scheduled monument
Legal protection given in 1938.
What to look for
-
Low-tide causeway
A rough boulder causeway links the rock to the mainland.
-
Circular drystone wall
Only the lower exterior courses are visible in places.
-
Narrow entrance
The entrance passage survives on the south side.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 58.2496°N · 5.1220°W
- Access
- Reached on a public path
- Terrain
- Rough ground — reasonable boots advised
Opening & admission
- Only approachable at low tide across a rough boulder causeway.
Nearby places
Fortified place · Medieval
Ardvreck Castle
Highland
A remote Highland tower house whose surrender of the Marquess of Montrose in 1650 ties this lochside ruin to one of the defining episodes of Scotla…
Questions people ask
- What is An Dun?
- It is an Iron Age broch or dun at Loch Ardbhair in Highland.
- Why is the broch identification cautious?
- The source pack says its small size and lack of visible wall chambers caused reservations.
- Can it be reached at any time?
- No. The pack says it is only approachable at low tide.
- When was it scheduled?
- An Dun was designated a scheduled monument on 14 October 1938.
Sources
Explore more: Fortified places · Iron Age · Highland
The Ancient Codex, in your pocket
Get the Pocket Codex app
Carry the directory with you — An Dun and thousands of ancient places across Britain and Ireland, offline, wherever you roam.