Monument record 518 - DUN SCURRIVAL, EOLIGARRY, BARRA

NF60NE 3 6954 0810.

(NF 6954 0810) Dun Scurrival (OE)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1903)

Classified as a dun by Young (A Young 1958), who described it as sub-circular with estimated internal measurements 50ft by 39ft; its walling built up (it was torn down when visited earlier by the RCAHMS), with galleries apparent, and having an extra outer wall traceable on its north side, and the boulder footings of another across the neck of the promontory on which it stands. In 1947 Scott called the latter wall 'impressive' and noted 'accessory buildings' on a terrace between it and the dun; also a curtain wall along a ramped ascent which slopes up to and across the terrace to enter the broch (sic) at the NE.
Pottery sherds and one artifact from the site have been equated with finds from Dun Cuier (A Young 1958) (4th-7th c. AD - NF60SE 1 ) and Tebbutt notes a shell-midden with pottery (unspecified) inside and outside the walls.
A Young 1958 and 1964; L Scott 1947; RCAHMS 1928; Information from C F Tebbutt, 1959.

Dun Scurrival, a galleried dun, is generally as described by previous authorities. It survives to a maximum height of 2.6m in the E. The interior is obscured by tumble but two courses of the inner face, topped by a scarcement, can be seen on the west side, and a small circular structure, 3.6m in diameter, has been built against the inner wall in the NE sector.
The outer curtain wall, noted by Scott and Young, is visible as a grass-grown stony bank, 0.8m high, incorporating naturaly rock outcrop, and runs from the west end of the dun along its N edge for about 26.0m. The wall on the east side, running across the neck of the promontory, is much obscured by debris and is scarcely traceable. The 'accessory buildings' are no longer visible.
Immediately south of the dun there are the footings of several oval and circular shielings constructed from the tumble, and in the area to the
S and E of these there are lazy beds.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (R B) 26 May 1965.

Iron Age sherds and a fragment of a polished stone axe from Dun Scurrival were donated to the NMAS in 1977-8 by Miss M Harman, Ewhurst, Sussex.
Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1980.

E16: Roughly triangular in shape, about 21 by 14m; walls 1.5m high.
NMRS MS/595/10.

5.Dun Scurrival
Site Type: 'dun'
Oval stone walled structure,24 by 16m overall, with internal area measuring 13 by 8m.Masses of fallen masonary on slopes around the structure and inside the wall.The wall structure is partly visible at the NW and W,and appears to comprise a thick outer wall,an irregular but narrow gallery, and a narrow inner wall.The outer wall is 2.5-3.5m wide, the gallery 0.5-1m,and the inner wall about 1m wide.There are suggestions of an entrance at the east end of the structure.A trench has been dug at some time in the past towards the east end of the internal area and revealed remains of a wall three courses high,which must belong to a strucural feature within the central 'courtyard'.The NMS has a collection of c.70 sherds,flints,a bone pin and a bone bobbin from the site.
Branigan and Gratton p8.

Also in Branigan and Foster 2000, 11

RCAHMS, 1928, The RCAHMCS 9th Report & Inventory: Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles, 132, No. 449 (Bibliographic reference). SWE5587.

Sir L Scott, 1947, Proc Prehist Soc, 3 (Bibliographic reference). SWE6432.

A Young, 1955-6a, Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 291 fig. 1 (Bibliographic reference). SWE8434.

A Young, 1961-2, Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 193 (Bibliographic reference). SWE6988.

PSAS, 1977-8, Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 381, No. 20 (Bibliographic reference). SWE12884.

P and S Topping and Topping, 1984a, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 44 (Bibliographic reference). SWE12882.

Keith Branigan & Patrick Foster, 2000, From Barra to Berneray: Archaeological Survey and Excavation in the Southern Isles ... (Bibliographic reference). SWE41033.