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Dun Beag is a fortified Iron Age settlement located at Balmeanach in the parish of Staffin, Inverness-shire. This dun, a form of defensive dwelling characteristic of northern Scotland during the Iron Age, occupies a commanding position in the landscape. The underlying bedrock consists of Upper Jurassic rocks, predominantly mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Late Jurassic period, which would have presented particular constraints and opportunities for construction techniques employed by Iron Age communities.
The dun's defensive architecture reflects the settlement patterns and social hierarchies of Iron Age society in the Scottish Highlands. Such structures typically served as fortified residences for families or small groups and were built to exploit natural topography for defence. At Balmeanach, the specific geological foundation and local geography shaped how the settlement's builders adapted their construction methods to create a viable stronghold.
Dun Beag is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3516, recognising its significance as evidence of Iron Age occupation and settlement strategy in the north of Scotland. The monument contributes to our understanding of how Iron Age communities adapted to the challenging terrain and climate of the Scottish Highlands whilst maintaining defended settlements and assertion of territorial control.
Dun Beag,dun,Balmeanach,Staffin is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3516. View the official record →
Dun Beag is a fortified Iron Age settlement located at Balmeanach in the parish of Staffin, Inverness-shire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3516.
Dun Beag,dun,Balmeanach,Staffin dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a dun,balmeanach,staffin. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dun Beag,dun,Balmeanach,Staffin is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM3516.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carn Ban,cairn 350m E of Staffin Lodge,Kilmuir (2.6 km), Staffin House, shell midden 1050m NNE of (3 km), Garafad,depopulated settlement,Kilmuir (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun Beag,dun,Balmeanach,Staffin's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Dun Beag,dun,Balmeanach,Staffin stands on Upper Jurassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Jurassic. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.