Dun Fiadhairt

Dun Fiadhairt is an Iron Age broch on the north coast of Skye, in the Scottish Highlands. It stands on a low, rocky knoll surrounded by moorland on a peninsula that juts into Loch Dunvegan. The site lies 3.5 kilometres northwest of Dunvegan village. Brochs are tall, dry-stone round towers built by the Iron Age people of Scotland. Dun Fiadhairt is one of many such structures found across the Highlands and Islands. The broch has an external diameter of 16.8 metres and an internal diameter of 9.6 metres. Its main entrance is on the west side, leading through a 3.7-metre passage that contains two opposing guard cells. Inside, the broch features a double cell in the side wall and a guard cell at the foot of the stairs. A ground-level gallery runs around the inner wall, with a small second entrance formed by a door through the wall. Excavations around 1892 by the Countess Vincent Baillet de Latour uncovered pottery, iron refuse, and stone tools such as a rotary quern and whetstone. Finds also included spindle whorls, glass beads, and 59 amber beads likely once part of a necklace. A baked clay object, possibly a Roman votive model of a bale of wool, was also discovered. The site offers a glimpse into Iron Age life and craftsmanship on Skye.