Take the road the leads east just to the north of the hotel and as the land flattens out climb over the gate into the field. This field is immediately behind the hotel. Sadly there isn't much to see except for natural defences on the west.
However, placed to the south of the River Sorn, it would have been a great vantage point.
Sometimes my job, my favourite drink and prehistory all occasionally collide, sometimes unintentionally.
On a previous visit to Islay I'd visited The Oa with its American Monument (erected after the tragic events during 1918), this time to complete research for a new album I'd visited the Kilchoman Military cemetery, overlooking Machir Bay, scene of another tragedy. On leaving the cemetery I, of course, had to visit the local distillery to sample some of the local holy water.
Just to west of the distillery's car park there is Rockside Dun, one of many prehistoric sites in the area.
The most likely entrance is to the south east of the 30m by 10m site. Not much remains of the ramparts apart from some fallen stone all round the wee hill, 6m high, that is overlooked by some serious looking cliffs.
Great wee site, the local drink would be sampled later on Jura.
Dun Nosebridge truly is a stunning place and it can be seen from Mulindry, where we parked. The gentleman at Mulindry Old Schoolhouse, also proved very helpful, with place name pronunciations, and also allowed to park immediately behind his car, i.e. The Oa / Kilchoman. Nosebridge is as it reads :-)
Cross over the River Laggan, and take the track heading east, a nice easy walk which leads straight to fort. The cairn at Caisteal Mhic Dhomhnuill is also nearby, is at the top of the hill immediately north.
However the main attraction soon comes into view. The fort can be easily climbed from the west but the main stone lined entrance is on the east. Three huge ramparts cover north, three, perhaps more cover east and west and to the south natural defences, a cliff face.
There must have been a huge amount of work carried out here, no doubt in later centuries the fort was used for more agricultural purposes. At the moment, thankfully, it seems to be left alone.
Robert C. Graham, author of the book Carves Stones of Islay written in 1885, described the fort as follows:
The name is an elaborate corruption of the Icelandic words Hnaus and Borg, meaning Turf fort, and apt description, as the whole structure is covered with a most beautiful and velvety sward. The top of the hill has been cut away so as to form a level quadrilateral platform, 90 feet long by 50 feet wide. The longer sides run east and west and the platform is protected by earthworks. The slope towards the river on the south side is so steep as to render artificial defences unnecessary, but on the other sides the fort is strongly protected. On the west there are four trenches one above the other, with high earthworks between. One of these trenches if continued round the northern and eastern sides, to which from the nature of the ground it would form a sufficient protection. At the east end, however, a projecting lump of hill, below the main trench, is again protected by a smaller ditch. This is a most interesting place and well worth seeing.