Rubh an Dunain

Nearest town:
Mallaig (34km E)
OS reference:
NG393164
OS sheet:
32
Latitude:
57° 9' 51.24 N
Longitude:
6° 18' 45.42 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Rubh an Dunain (Chambered Cairn) by drewbhoy

If you follow the path this will be first view of the cairn.

Image credit: drew/AMJ
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 20, 2023
Image of Rubh an Dunain (Chambered Cairn) by GLADMAN

For me, arguably one of Scotland’s finest sites... and pretty remote, too....

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Feb 20, 2016
Image of Rubh an Dunain (Chambered Cairn) by GLADMAN

Note the facade... and entrance passageway, left.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Feb 20, 2016
Image of Rubh an Dunain (Chambered Cairn) by GLADMAN

An aerial view of the remote landscape context of this wonderful chambered cairn set beside Loch na h-Airde. Prospective visitors should note the long (almost 8 mile round trip) coastal approach from Loch Brittle campsite (the green field at the head of the loch) – obviously not to be undertaken lightly. The viewpoint is the very exposed summit of Sgurr Alasdair... at 3,254ft the sentinel peak of The Black Cuillin.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 15, 2015
Image of Rubh an Dunain (Chambered Cairn) by GLADMAN

Looking out along the entrance passage. It takes an approx 8 mile round walk to get here from Glen Brittle. The rewards reflect this.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 12, 2015
Image of Rubh an Dunain (Chambered Cairn) by GLADMAN

Detail of internal chamber construction – note also the construction techniques of an unspecified bird’s nest... with said bird on site – too fast for this traveller’s reactions.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 16, 2010
Image of Rubh an Dunain (Chambered Cairn) by GLADMAN

Mist peels away from The Black Cuillin rising beyond the chambered cairn....

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN May 7, 2010
Image of Rubh an Dunain (Chambered Cairn) by GLADMAN

Some landscape perspective for this remote chambered cairn. The viewpoint is upon the boiler plates of Coire Lagan, Black Cuillin.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 26, 2010
Image of Rubh an Dunain (Chambered Cairn) by mofo greedhead

Nearby Neolithic “flint-knapper” cave (.5 kilometers East of Rubh an Duinan site).

Image credit: Mofo Greedhead
M
mofo greedhead Dec 10, 2003

Articles

Rubh an Dunain

drewbhoy
drewbhoy Nov 30, 2023

From the dun we crossed the Viking-made canal via handily placed causeway and made our way round the sound side of Loch na h’Airde before heading north towards the cairns that are located in front of the small hill, Carn Mor.

As Mr G said this is an isolated place nowadays but it once appeared to be reasonably populated with the nearby dun, medieval townships and various Nordic visitors. Now the closest people are at Glen Brittle, the most regular visitors being sheep and cows along with people making the trek to the various sites.

The chambered cairn still sits at 20m wide and a good gentle tidy would reveal that a lot of it is still in place. Large slabs and some well built dry stanes remain in place. A gentle restoration would be wonderful to see but given the location, highly unlikely.

The view as ever remains glorious and we’re lucky that we have made it on a beautiful clear day day which seemed unlikely given the previous nights dreich stuff.

Not far to the next site, a wee jump over a wall.

Visited 04/08/2023.

Rubh an Dunain

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 16, 2009

A classic site....... I make it about a seven and a half mile round walk from the Loch Brittle campsite, but the loch-side walk – with The Cuillin towering above and numerous streams discharging into the loch as waterfalls – is well worth doing for itself, never mind with the prize of megaliths at the end. Think of it as a lay pilgrimage, or something like that.

The route is pretty straightforward until the final section, near Creag Mhor, where the path veers inland towards a drystone wall. I, er, sort of lost it here, neglecting to take a bearing on Loch na h-Airde until it was too late. Anyway, persevere, passing an abandoned croft which may well bring a lump to your throat (it did mine) and find the loch best you can.

The chamber sits above the northern shore of this loch and, although roofless, still has a facade and well preserved entrance passage. To be honest, although gloriously unkempt with the facade stones leaning this way and that, it’s virtually intact – save the roof.

And yes, there is a lot of litter around, which does detract somewhat from such a truly isolated spot..... but closer inspection revealed this to be of the marine variety, whether chucked overboard or washed in on a storm, I couldn’t say.

Visited on 15/5/08

Rubh an Dunain

M
mofo greedhead Dec 10, 2003

Visited this site in Summer of 1997 and must agree with IronMan post above – there was quite a bit of litter for such a remote site. The roof was considerably caved in and was a larger orifice than the entryway. The hike to the site is definitely a long one, but well worth it in good weather. I also checked out the nearby (“neolithic flint knapper”) cave which is more of a shallow, shetlered room that a cave. I will attempt to post a pisture of the cave here (though as it’s not actually part of or immediately adjacent to the Rubh an Dunain site, it may be scrubbed)

Rubh an Dunain

IronMan
IronMan Feb 26, 2002

I last visited the site in Spring 1997. It’s depressing to see such a remote, innaccessible site like this being the victim of litter. Bottles, bags, the remains of several campsites, nylon rope and plastic barrels presumably from the fishing boats are scattered all over the area. The site itself is quite small, the roof has partially collapsed, but it is worth the visit. The long walk down from Glenbrittle is fantastic, and the return journey is made even more rewarding by the view of the Cuillin. The area is well worth exploring further for other remains including a cave used by neolithic flint knappers and Iron Age smiths, old hut circles and the ruined Dun that gave the point its name.

Folklore

Rubh an Dunain
Chambered Cairn
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 18, 2023

Imagine an ancient time at Rubh’ an Dùnain around 3000 years ago.

A small procession winds its way towards a stone cairn overlooking Loch Brittle to the north, and behind them to the south, their own little settlement of stone and turf.

They circle the lochan and make their way up a sacred path, leaving the shelter of the natural dip in the terrain to face the chilling wind that blows across the ridge and the entrance to the House of the Dead.

The bier that carries the dead body is lowered at the doorway of the burial chamber and bowls of offerings are placed on the ground. Then the ritual begins, ending with shifting the body and bowls inside the chambered cairn to lie beside the human bones of those who have gone before.

Such an event is part of the story of Rubh’ an Dùnain. The House of the Dead – a chambered cairn known as a Barpa in Gaelic – remains in ruins to bear testimony to such ancient rituals.

Archaeologists say the chamber is one of many on the Atlantic coastline from Spain to the Shetlands with some evidence that those who lived in this hidden headland were not only fishermen, but farmers too.

Skye’s Hidden Heritage

Sites within 20km of Rubh an Dunain

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