Dun Faich

Visited: September 9, 2015

This promontory at Kilmore once bore an Iron Age fort, Dun Faich. Canmore tells us that an outer face of walling over a metre tall still stands on the landward side, but by the time I gained the fence below the summit, I had lost all inclination to investigate.

Access to the dun was via Kilmore churchyard, which extends a long distance towards the sea, and thence over its rear wall on to a rough path that completes the journey to the rocky shore. Working round to Dun Faich was easy: the difficult part was the ascent of the steep vegetated slopes leading to the dun. What, from a distance, looked easy, proved to be a painful and drawn out battle against thick bracken, laced with abundant concealed thorny brambles. Certainly not a route to recommend in late summer. Do it in spring. After reaching the fence below the summit, I retreated back to the road along the driveway of a large house.

The only saving grace of the adventure was the superb views across the Sound of Sleat towards the mountains of Knoydart. On a very warm day, I was wearing shorts, and bore the scars of battle for a fortnight thereafter!