Dùn Morbhaidh facts for kids

Dùn Morbhaidh, around 1900.

Dùn Morbhaidh, also known as Dun Borbaidh, is an ancient hill fort found on the island of Coll. Coll is part of the Inner Hebrides in Scotland. An expert from the early 1900s, Erskine Beveridge, thought this was one of the most interesting old forts on Coll.

What's in a Name? The Meaning of Dùn Morbhaidh

The expert Erskine Beveridge believed the correct name for this fort was Dun Borbaidh. He thought the name on maps might be wrong. He said the fort got its name from nearby places like Eilean Borbaidh and Traigh Bhorbaidh. People living there pronounced it "Borow" or "Borive." Beveridge noticed that "Borive" sounds like other names in the Hebrides. He thought it came from the Norse language word borg, which means "fort."

Where is Dùn Morbhaidh Located?

Map showing the location of duns, hill forts, and crannogs on Coll.

Dùn Morbhaidh is on the island of Coll. It sits about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) northeast of a place called Gallanach.

Exploring the Fort: What Dùn Morbhaidh Looks Like

Dùn Morbhaidh is built on top of a rocky hill, very close to the shore. The highest part of the fort is on the west side and at the very top. This area measures about 30 by 15 meters (98 by 49 feet). A wall protected this highest part on the western side. Today, only small pieces of this wall remain. You can still see two short sections of the outer part of this wall. They stand up to 0.7 meters (2.3 feet) high.

The eastern side of the hill has many slopes and flat areas. You can see signs of two more walls here. One wall, called the medial wall, mostly goes around a flat area. The other wall, the outer wall, is at the bottom of the hill. It faces flat ground. Only small parts of this outer wall are still visible.

Treasures from the Past: Archaeological Finds at Dùn Morbhaidh

When Erskine Beveridge explored the site, he found interesting things. He discovered remains of old rubbish (called midden material). He also found small, round pebbles and many hammerstones. Many of these hammerstones were broken.

Beveridge also found several pieces of potsherd. These were decorated with patterns made by scratching or pressing fingers into the clay. He thought some of these finds looked like they had been in a fire. This was similar to what he saw at another fort called Dùn an Achaidh.

Two of the potsherds had pictures of deer scratched into them. These special pieces are now kept in the National Museum of Scotland. Richard Hingley, another expert, noted that potsherds with deer figures have been found at other sites in the Hebrides. This suggests that hunting was very important to some of the Iron Age communities in the Western Isles.

In 1972, the Ordnance Survey visited the site. They thought it was likely a "dun" (a type of fort) with outer defenses. They did not find any midden material at that time. Later, in 1995, M. W. Holley also found some potsherds at the site.

Old Stories: Traditions of Dùn Morbhaidh

Erskine Beveridge said there were no specific stories about the fort itself. However, he did hear a story about a cave located beneath the fort. This cave was said to stretch from the rocky shore far inland. According to the story, a terrible event happened in this cave. Many local people were said to have been killed there.

Images for kids

• 

  Location of Coll.