Dun Eibhinn

Nearest town:
Lochgilphead (47km E)
OS reference:
NR383944
OS sheet:
61
Latitude:
56° 4' 14.06 N
Longitude:
6° 12' 20.07 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Dun Eibhinn by drewbhoy

The east end, taken from a spot were I could get above the head high ferns.

Image credit: drew/AMJ
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 28, 2024
Image of Dun Eibhinn by drewbhoy

Interior of the fort, looking east – Scalasaig village and ferry port, Jura beyond.

Image credit: drew/AMJ
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 28, 2024
Image of Dun Eibhinn by drewbhoy

A stunning place, a lot of forts / duns here are stunning.

Image credit: drew/AMJ
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 27, 2024

Articles

Dun Eibhinn

drewbhoy
drewbhoy Jan 27, 2025

After battering my way through all types of gorse and jabby stuff I headed north west to climb the reasonably steep slopes to Dun Eibhinn, one of quite a few impressive defensive sites on Colonsay.

Two walls surround the fort, which can be seen from many places on the island, some parts in decent condition some badly ruined, especially on the outer wall which has seen its stones used for nearby dry stane dykes.

The building of the outer wall on the north is somewhat curious as the the drop is almost straight down. However, it protected the 20 by 18m site well. Entrance to the fort is on the North East, at this point you can see how wide the walls must have been – 4m in some places. Also an idea of height as the entrance’s walls made use of a small gully.

Traces of Iron Age dwellings inside the fort are barely visible, the remains of probably Medieval dwellings can be clearly seen.

A great place to look south, east and west, to the east is Buaile Riabhach which would be my next stop.

Visited 11/08/2024.

Folklore

Dun Eibhinn
Stone Fort / Dun
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 28, 2024

Dun Eibhinn became a seat of the Dalriadic noblemen from Ireland 1,500 years ago and, in due course, was adopted by the Vikings. It became the centre to which the taxes and wealth of the Suderys (“Sudreyjar” or Southern Hebrides) were gathered for onward transmission. In the fulness of time, it was home to Adomain (“Jarl Gilli”), one of the later Norse nobles, the fore-father of the mighty Somerled. After the overthrow of the Norse, Somerled’s own descendants created the Lordship of the Isles and took over Dun Eibhinn for themselves. During the rule of the Lords of the Isles, the ancient and “well-beloved” family of Clan McPhee became their hereditary record keepers and for upwards of three centuries Dun Eibhinn was their home.

On August 23rd 1609, the Statutes of Iona were accepted by a assembly of chiefs which included

Donald McFie in Collonsaye, togidder with the maist pairt of thair haill speciall frindis, dependairis and tennentis....

Lonely Colonsay – Island At An Edge by Kevin Byrne

Miscellaneous

Dun Eibhinn
Stone Fort / Dun
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Feb 27, 2008

On the islands of Colonsay and Oransay there are the remains of many buildings on hill tops, called duns. They are green and covered with grass.

The most impressive of these is Dun Aving or Abhing [..], about one mile west of Scalasaig harbour, and on a commanding hill top. It is circular, and measures about 90 feet diameter. But the outer face of the structure is gone. From it an almost unbroken view of the sea can be had all round the island. Many hundred tons of debris lie at the bottom of the rock on which the fort stands. The site, though not one of the highest hills, is well chosen for defence, and would be almost inaccessible except on one side where the entrance to the fort seems to have been.

From an article by William Stevenson in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 15 (1880-81), p113-47.
ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_015/15_113_147.pdf

Sites within 20km of Dun Eibhinn

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