Duntulm
Duntulm
| |
|---|---|
 Tulm Island seen from Duntulm Castle | |
  Duntulm Location within theIsle of Skye | |
| OS grid reference | NG410739 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PORTREE |
| Postcode district | IV51 |
| Dialling code | 01470 552 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Duntulm(Scottish Gaelic:Dùn Thuilm) is a township situated on the northwest coast of theTrotternishpeninsula on theIsle of Skye,and is made up of Shulista (North Duntulm) and South Duntulm.[1]It is located on the single-trackA855road about 24 miles north of Portree. The township is noted for it's long fortified headland, which the ruins ofDuntulm Castlepresently sit.[2]
Geography and natural history
[edit]Duntulm is coastally composed of a series of bays and onlooked byCnoc Roll,a small hill standing 122 m above sea level with a radio mast. Duntulm Bay sits north of Duntulm Castle, and contains the 33 m high Tulm Island and smaller Port Duntulm.[3]The bay is overlooked by the abandonedlinear settlementof Erisco - depopulated during the highland clearances.[4]Duntulm features a single small loch, Loch Cleat (meaning Grey Loch).[5]
Immediately south of the castle isCairidh Ghlumaig,a bay which forms part of theyair(Scottish Gaelic for fish trap) of Ghlumaig.[5]Cairidh Ghlumaigis renowned for it's outcrop of thetype sectionof theMiddle JurassicagedDuntulm Formation(c. 170 million years old), which contains several trackways attributed to long-necked sauropods.[6]The coast fromCairidh Ghlumaigto Score Bay is strictly protected by the Skye Nature Conservation Order 2019, which safeguards Skye's vertebrate fossils.[7]
History
[edit]Duntulm was originally a Pictish fortress, forming one of a chain of duns or forts stretching along the north coast of theIsle of Skye.On the arrival of theNorsementhe fort became the residence of a powerfulVikingleader who gave it the name David's Fort.
Trotternish often changed hands. It was not until the 16th century that the Lords of the Isles finally seized the territory and Donhall Gorm (Blue Donald) the chief (great-grandson ofHugh of Sleat), took up residence there and carried out considerable improvements to the fort. In 1730 theMacDonaldsmoved away from Duntulm and stayed for a time atMonkstadtbefore building their new castle atArmadale.
Duntulm is home to aclach-ultaich,alifting stonebelieved to weigh a ton.[8]
References
[edit]- ^"Duntulm".The Gazetteer for Scotland.School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh and The Royal Scottish Geographical Society.Retrieved18 June2018.
- ^"Duntulm Castle Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland".www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk.Retrieved15 October2024.
- ^Ltd, Copyright The mountain Guide-A.-Connect."Tulm Island | Scotland".UK mountain Guide.Retrieved15 October2024.
- ^"Skye, Erisco | Canmore".canmore.org.uk.Retrieved15 October2024.
- ^ab"OS1/16/7/26 | ScotlandsPlaces".scotlandsplaces.gov.uk.Retrieved15 October2024.
- ^Brusatte, Stephen L.; Challands, Thomas J.; Ross, Dugald A.; Wilkinson, Mark (August 2016)."Sauropod dinosaur trackways in a Middle Jurassic lagoon on the Isle of Skye, Scotland".Scottish Journal of Geology.52(1): 1–9.Bibcode:2016ScJG...52....1B.doi:10.1144/sjg2015-005.ISSN0036-9276.
- ^"Helping to safeguard Skye's fossil heritage FAQ's".15 October 2024.
- ^Dwelly, Edward (1911).Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary(4th ed.). Glasgow: MacLaren & Sons.
External links
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