The middle defences looking south east.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Images
Top of the east section.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The cliff defence of the east section looking north.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The gap between the east and west sections.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Looking south, the cliff defence of the east section.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Looking down onto the east section.
Image credit: drew/A/B
You need long legs for these steps, I have long legs :-)
Image credit: drew/A/B
Straight down on the south side.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Looking up from the south east.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The south side of the duns highpoint.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The first step to the top, plus looking north over the hill in front is Clachtoll Broch.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Bottom of the south west stack.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The sun returns over the highest point of the dun.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The split.
Image credit: drew/A/B
A cloud covers the sun on the eastern approach.
Image credit: drew/A/B
A different angle on Clachtoll reunites the splits.
Image credit: drew/A/B
No guesses why the dun has the nickname ‘The Split Rock’.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Articles
Once finished at Clachtoll’s Broch head south on the coastal path, walk round the Bay of Clachtoll’s beach and climb up the grass bank on the other side. Whilst doing all of this keep your eye on the promontory and it’s amazing shape. The Split Rock is also home to a dun, it is a truly stunning scene.
To reach the site basically keep on the grass and head west looking for the highest point. Don’t go any further than the highest point as a 20m drop into the sea awaits. This part of the dun measures 14m by 7m and has some vitrified rock, to reach it long legs would be needed to climb the natural stairway of the small cliff on the east side.
To me, it also looks like the lower and east side has also been used at some point. Whatever it was used for nobody appears to know but surely came in handy as an extra line of defence.
Pottery finds at the dun are of a similar age to those found at the nearby broch. Presumably both were occupied at the same time.
With that it was back to the car this time using a track to get back to main road for an easy walk back north.
Truly stunning site!
Visited 12/10/2020.
Sites within 20km of A’ Chlach Thuill
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Clachtoll
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Loch Na Claise
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Clashnessie
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Culkein
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Rubha Creag Iomhair
photo 6description 1 -
Brae Of Achnahaird
photo 12description 1 -
Achnahaird Sands
photo 6description 1 -
Strath Polly
photo 9description 1 -
Suilven
photo 7description 1 -
Loch Ardbhair
photo 6description 1 -
Geodha Na Glaic Baine
photo 7description 1 -
Mol Mor
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Achiltibuie
photo 10description 1 -
Rubha Gisgil
photo 8description 1 -
Loch a’ Chairn Bhain, Kylestrome
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Kylestrome
photo 15description 2 -
Allt Sgiathaig
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Loch Poll An Dunain
photo 18description 2link 1