Images

Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Some landscape context highlighting the exquisite siting... the ‘fort – centre background right – can be seen to the right of the wondrous Dun Mor from the southern flank of Meall na Suiramach. I don’t believe the foreground height possesses a name? Suffice to say, it deserves one.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Dun Beag from the north descending Dun Mor, following a rather, er, ‘circuitous’ return from the wondrous Dun Vallerian.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Southern flank, looking approx east – all sorts of stuff going on ‘down there’; but then, to be fair, there’s archaeological stuff to be seen in seemingly every corner of Skye.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

To the west, looking north toward the impossibly overbearing Dun Mor.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

What I assumed to be the original main entrance to east, from without.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Northern flank, again looking approx west. Bioda Buidhe and the wondrous Cleat are the deceptively diminutive hills.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

As one would expect, the main defences are to the north... here looking west(ish). Meall na Suiramach and the legendary rock formations of The Quiraing are shrouded with hill fog.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The spectacular landscape context of Dun Beag (far right, to right of Dun Mor). Loch Leum Na Luirginn, with its own small dun, is the background lake. Cleat is the wondrous viewpoint.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by LesHamilton

Some of the large blocks that line the upper reaches of the entranceway.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by LesHamilton

Looking towards Staffin Bay from Dun Beag, where the fort is guarded by steep cliffs.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by LesHamilton

Some of the copious tumble of blocks on Dun Beag’s western slopes.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
Image of Dun Beag, Balmeanach (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The apparently perfectly formed little hill fort can be seen to the right of the aesthetically pleasing Dun Mor, centre right. Viewpoint is Meall na Suiramach, Quiraing.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone

Articles

Dun Beag, Balmeanach

Visited: May 21, 2017

The fort of Dun Beag lies just over a kilometre due south of Dun Vallerain, and likewise on a steep conical hill. Park beside the cemetery 800 metres west of Brodaig from the A855 (blue marker), walk back up to the Brodaig-Uig road, then turn left and continue for around 400 metres till a gate comes into view on your right. Dun Beag now rears steeply above you and looks impregnable, but a path from the gate heads northwards and contours all of the way round to the west of the hill then leads up easy grassy slopes to the summit (red marker). The ascent is about 100 metres.

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The upper slopes of the hill are covered in tumbled stones that were once the dun’s defensive western wall. The summit is basically a level grassy plain (measuring 37&nbsp×&nbsp15 metres ) with few redeeming features other than the superb views it provides towards both the sea and the precipices of the Cuiraing. There is a well defined entrance passage bordered by large squared blocks in its upper reaches. To the east and north, the hill falls almost precipitously to the moorlands below and there is little evidence of walling. On the easier western slopes, traces of walling two courses deep can still be identified amongst the tumble. Judging from the quantity of tumbled stones on the western slopes, there must once have been a substantial defensive wall here. In a few places, on the southern and western slopes, intermittent stetches of the foundation course can still be found in situ.

Miscellaneous

Dun Beag, Balmeanach
Hillfort

I viewed the Hillfort from the Cairn a short distance to the south.

There was nothing obvious to see other than the Fort occupying a high/tall rock outcrop.

It would take a fair bit of effort to get up there!

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