Images (4)
Fieldnotes (1)

Images

Image of Dun Liath (Glasnakille) (Broch) by LesHamilton

A panoramic view over the heather-filled interior of Dun Liath. The rear of the nearby cottage is visible in the background. All the walling in the foreground is submerged under the heather.

Image credit: Les Hamilton

LesHamilton Sep 13, 2014

Rubble strewn over the width of the western arc of walling at Dun Liath.

Image credit: Les Hamilton

LesHamilton Sep 13, 2014

A section of walling to the south of Dun Liath, clearly showing the external foundation courses.

Image credit: Les Hamilton

LesHamilton Sep 13, 2014

A section of the rather chaotic tumbled boulders lying atop the foundation courses of the broch.

Image credit: Les Hamilton

LesHamilton Sep 13, 2014

Articles

Dun Liath (Glasnakille)

Broch

LesHamilton Sep 13, 2014

Visited: September 4, 2014

Dun Liath (Glasnakille/Drinan), credited as a ‘possible broch’ by RCAHMS, is to be found some 800 metres beyond the northern road-end in the community of Glasnakille, near Elgol in Skye’s Strathaird peninsula. From there, an excellent track heads north through a Forestry Commission plantation, crosses the Allt na Cille stream, then almost immediately exits the woodland via a gate. Now follow the track for a further 250 metres through bracken and birch scrub till you arrive at a gate across the road.

Just before this gate is an attractive self-catering holiday cottage (the notice on the gate gives its address as No 1 Drinan). The broch lies in a region of scrub and heather a short distance east of the cottage. The best approach is to start at the aforementioned gate, on the cottage side, and follow the fence line towards Loch Slapin (i.e. southeast) for about 45 metres, then head to your right for another 15 metres. The conspicuous white stonework of the dilapidated southwestern wall of the broch should come into view.

The broch is almost circular, its centre filled (in September) with heather in full bloom. The walling is conspicuous and abundant on the west side of the structure as a dilapidated pile of white stones lying atop well defined outer foundation courses. To the east, the heather prevails, and though there are stones there aplenty, most are obscured.

This Google map shows the location of the Broch relative to the cottage. The black line shows the recommended approach route from the gate to the broch. At the present time, this is quite thickly vegetated, so you are unlikely to see the broch till you are almost upon it.