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Ullinish Fort is an Iron Age fortification situated in Bracadale, Inverness-shire, on the Isle of Skye. The site occupies bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lavas and tuffs that erupted during volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. This dark basaltic geology forms part of Skye's distinctive volcanic landscape, which has shaped human settlement patterns across the island for millennia.
The fort belongs to the Iron Age tradition of defended settlements common throughout northern Scotland. Such fortifications typically comprise substantial stone ramparts or timber-laced walls defining one or more enclosures, designed to protect inhabitants and their livestock from both rival groups and environmental threats. The Bracadale location places it within a region historically significant for its maritime and pastoral economies.
Ullinish Fort is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland's designation SM930. The site remains an important archaeological resource for understanding Iron Age settlement hierarchies and defensive strategies in the Scottish Hebrides, reflecting the sophisticated social organisation of Iron Age communities inhabiting the remote islands of northwest Scotland.
Ullinish,fort,Bracadale is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM930. View the official record →
Ullinish Fort is an Iron Age fortification situated in Bracadale, Inverness-shire, on the Isle of Skye. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM930.
Ullinish,fort,Bracadale dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a fort,bracadale. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Ullinish,fort,Bracadale 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 SM930.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ullinish Lodge,chambered cairn,Bracadale (0.8 km), Knock Ullinish, souterrain (1.9 km), Struanmore, chambered cairn 800m SW of Struan Primary School (2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ullinish,fort,Bracadale'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.
Ullinish,fort,Bracadale stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.