Dunadd Image Gallery
These photographs were taken on a visit to Dunadd in the Summer of 2003
The photographs are between 50 and 87kb so be patient.
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This
picture shows what is believed to be the entrance to the fortified hilltop.
It is a natural defile between two rocky outcroppings and would have been
an ideal place for a gate defended from above by the stone wall and wooden
pallisade. The track between them is obviously well worn, not just by modern
sightseers. One of the websites I looked at before visiting Dunadd had a photo similar to this one, so when I went there I decided to snap my own version. Through the entrance is a sheltered area where the experts reckon most of the dwellings would have been. It is protected by a natural rampart, where the Scots constructed their own man-made defenses. The remains of the stone base of their wall are visible in places. In the middle of the photo you can see the higher part of the hill, where the foot, bowl, carvings and rock wall can be found, along with the modern plaque. |
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Here at
almost the very top of Dunadd is the rock wall which lines a hillock of
grass. it has been supposed that this was once part of the King's house
or the Great Hall. It is possible that the hall was at the plateaux on top
of the hill, because it could be seen from the countryside all around.I'm
not an archaeological expert (the book about the recent excavations there
costs £40), so all I can do is make an educated guess about such things. In the distance, running horizontally in the picture, is the A816, and you can see the access road running off to at the right. There is also plenty of drizzle in the distance. |
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This feature is in the lower area of the settlement
and looks an awful lot like a well, so that's what I'm calling it. The wall
is lined with stones and there is coping at the top. Whether or not the
large slab is meant to be there, I don't know. Does the well
date from the height of the kingdom of the Scots? Who
knows. I'd like to think so. It would have to be old as there are no modern houses up the hill, nor remains of any houses from any other time period except that of Dalriada. And even if you lived at the foot of Dunadd, would you want to climb all the way up the top for water every day? The well is blocked up now, as you can see. The pink object inside the well is a pair of womens' knickers, by the way. Nice to see some respect for our nations' history. |
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This view was
taken from the very summit, looking down the Western slope. As you can see,
it is very steep and rocky. Not very inviting for a potential attacker. As this was once the capital for the Scot's Kingdom of Dalriada, I would have expected there to be more room for houses on the hill. It would be very likely that there was at least a small village spread around the base of the hill, where the 'commoners' would live. This part of the site has not been turned into farmland, so perhaps there was evidence of settlement in that area? |
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Here is a view to the North West through the drizzle that came rolling in. it looks like there's a body of water in the distance, which could be the Sound Of Jura |