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Dunan Diarmid is a dun situated on the shore of Loch Duich in Ross-shire, Scotland. Duns were small fortified homesteads characteristic of the Iron Age, typically featuring stone walls and serving as defended domestic settlements for elite families or small communities. The monument stands on bedrock of Proterozoic III quartzite formed during the Neoproterozoic era, with associated mica schist and migmatite deposits underlying the site, geology that provided accessible stone for construction of the defensive walls.
The quartzite bedrock surrounding Dunan Diarmid would have offered a naturally defensible position overlooking the loch, a key strategic advantage for an Iron Age settlement. The local stone outcrops provided the primary building material, allowing the builders to exploit the natural landscape in establishing their fortified dwelling. The proximity to Loch Duich ensured access to fresh water and fish stocks, essential resources for sustaining an Iron Age community.
Dunan Diarmid is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM2856, recognising its significance as an archaeological site. The monument contributes to understanding Iron Age settlement patterns along the western Highlands and the ways in which communities adapted their fortification strategies to coastal loch environments and the challenging terrain of the Scottish northwest.
Dunan Diarmid,dun,Loch Duich is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2856. View the official record →
Dunan Diarmid is a dun situated on the shore of Loch Duich in Ross-shire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2856.
Dunan Diarmid,dun,Loch Duich dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a dun,loch duich. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dunan Diarmid,dun,Loch Duich 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 SM2856.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Dubhthach's Church and Burial Ground (0.7 km), Cill Fhearchair,standing stone,Shiel Bridge (1.9 km), Henge, 410m SW of Shiel House (2.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dunan Diarmid,dun,Loch Duich'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.
Dunan Diarmid,dun,Loch Duich stands on Proterozoic III quartzite, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is major:{quartzite}, Minor{mica schist,migmatite/anatexite}; undifferentiated metamorphic.