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Dun Neill is an Iron Age dun situated 420 metres south-west of Ardmore in Inverness-shire, Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, specifically mafic lava and mafic tuff formed during the Palaeogene period. This volcanic geology would have influenced both the landscape visible to Iron Age inhabitants and the materials available for construction of the fortification.
Duns are small fortified homesteads characteristic of Iron Age Scotland, typically comprising a single stone-built circular or oval structure with substantial walls. These defensive settlements served as residences for families or small communities, with their elevated or naturally defensible positions providing protection and commanding views of surrounding terrain. The specific location at Ardmore, positioned upon ancient volcanic bedrock, places the dun within a landscape shaped by dramatic geological events millions of years before its construction.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM3885, recognising its significance as evidence of Iron Age settlement and social organisation in the Highlands. Such sites remain vital archaeological resources for understanding domestic life, territorial control and the nature of highland communities during the later pre-Roman Iron Age.
Dun Neill,dun 420m SW of Ardmore is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3885. View the official record →
Dun Neill is an Iron Age dun situated 420 metres south-west of Ardmore in Inverness-shire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3885.
Dun Neill,dun 420m SW of Ardmore dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a dun 420m sw of ardmore. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dun Neill,dun 420m SW of Ardmore 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 SM3885.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ardmore,chapel & burial ground 230m SW of (0.2 km), Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm (2.4 km), Abhainn Bhaile Mheadhonaich, broch and standing stone 145m SE of An Cairidh (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun Neill,dun 420m SW of Ardmore'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 Neill,dun 420m SW of Ardmore stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.