Rubh’ an Dùnain: a multi‐period maritime landscape on the Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides, Scotland

Abstract

A non‐intrusive survey of this headland on Scotland's western seaboard reveals evidence of maritime activity from prehistory until the recent past. The siting of an Iron Age dun appears to have exploited a natural creek to bring boats to a secure landing‐place. Access was enhanced by a cleared channel, and two docks with adjacent nousts constructed. A stone‐revetted canal was later driven to the loch beyond, and quays built on either side of the entry. A 12th‐century boat‐timber was found in the loch. Later the canal was widened, and finally blocked. The sequence of development, and associated dating, merits further research.

抽象

堡垒的岬角:苏格兰内赫布里底斯凯岛的多期段海洋景观

对苏格兰西海岸这个岬角的非侵入性调查展示了该地史前到近代海洋活动的证据。一座铁器时代要塞的选址似乎利用一条天然小河将船带入安全的靠岸处。清除-障碍的通道增强了通行性, 两个码头位于相互毗邻的船只停泊处。之后, 石护运河使船只可到达至更远的湖泊, 码头则建在了运河入口的两侧。在该湖泊中发现了12世纪的船板。后来运河曾被加宽, 直到最终壅塞。这一切的发展顺序与相关年代则值得更进一步的研究。

关键词:铁器时代, 运河, 中世纪船板, 海洋景观, 斯凯岛

堡壘的岬角:蘇格蘭內赫布裏底斯凱島的多期段海洋景觀

對蘇格蘭西海岸這個岬角的非侵入性調查展示了該地史前到近代海洋活動的證據。一座鐵器時代要塞的選址似乎利用一條天然小河將船帶入安全的靠岸處。清除-障礙的通道增強了通行性, 兩個碼頭-于相互毗鄰的船只停泊處。之後, 石護運河使船只可到達至更遠的湖泊, 碼頭則建在了運河入口的兩側。在該湖泊中發現了12世紀的船板。後來運河曾被加寬, 直到最終壅塞。這一切的發展順序與相關年代則值得更進一步的研究。

關-詞:鐵器時代, 運河, 中世紀船板, 海洋景觀, 斯凱島

Abstracto

Rubh' an Dùnain: un paisaje marítimo multi‐periodo en la isla de Skye, Hébridas Interiores, Escocia

Una prospección no intrusiva de este promontorio del litoral occidental escocés revela evidencias de actividades marítimas que datan desde la prehistoria hasta el pasado reciente. El sitio de una fortificación de la Edad de Hierro aparentemente explotaba un arroyo natural para llevar embarcaciones a un lugar de atraque seguro. El acceso se incrementaba con un canal despejado y dos muelles con lugares adyacentes construidos para extraer las embarcaciones del agua y proveerles cobertizo. Más tardíamente, un canal revestido de piedra fue conducido al lago cercano, y se construyeron embarcaderos a cada lado de la entrada. Un madero de una embarcación del siglo XII fue hallado en el lago. Con posterioridad el canal fue ampliado y, finalmente, bloqueado. La secuencia del desarrollo y las dataciones asociadas requieren una investigación más profunda.

Palabras clave: Edad de Hierro, canal, madero de un barco medieval, paisaje marítimo, Skye

Traducción de: Ricardo Borrero, with thanks to the Honor Frost Foundation

Key words:

• Iron Age
• canal
• medieval boat‐timber
• maritime landscape
• Skye

Acknowledgements

The original survey was conducted in April and May 2009, and we acknowledge the support and expertise of our colleagues: Dr Chris Burgess; Dr David Caldwell; Edward Martin; Peter Martin; Roger Miket; Dr Richard Tipping; and Martin Wildgoose. Costs were met by Historic Scotland (now HES), and we have profited from the encouragement and guidance of Dr Noel Fojut and Philip Robertson. The landowner, Hugh MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan, supported us throughout and gave free access to the Dunvegan archives. Valuable assistance was given by the farmer, Hugh Macrae of Glenbrittle, while Alex Turner of Scottish Natural Heritage advised us on environmental matters. We profited from the local knowledge of Dr David MacFadyen and the Gaelic scholarship of Gavin Parsons and Professor Hugh Cheape. Steve Birch provided details of the Mesolithic finds.

During later visits we were helped in various ways by: Dr Jon Henderson of Nottingham University; Brian Abbot of Nautilus Marine Group, Michigan; George Geddes of HES; and Dr Ian MacLeod of the Western Australian Museum, whose ancestors came from hereabouts. A final visit was made possible by a grant from the Clan MacAskill Society through the good offices of Gordon Mack. Constructive comments by the two referees have done much to improve this paper.

Aerial photography was undertaken through a partnership between Historic Scotland and Morvern Maritime Centre, and thanks are due to Dave Cowley of HES and Ronnie Cowan, our pilot. Edward Martin took and rectified the drone photographs.

Notes

1. Grid references with two‐letter prefixes on the UK's National Grid system are used to identify locations on current Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 maps. Those with six figures define positions to within 100m, eight‐figure references to within 10m. Positions should be regarded as indicative rather than absolute. Key sites are given an ID number for CANMORE, the Historic Environment Scotland database, https://canmore.org.uk/.