Scheduled Monument
Dun Borranish, dun and causeway, Uig SandsSM3876
Status: Designated
Documents
Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).
The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.
Summary
- Date Added
- 16/11/1976
- Last Date Amended
- 19/10/2026
- Type
- Prehistoric domestic and defensive: dun
- Local Authority
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Planning Authority
- Na h-Eileanan Siar, Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Parish
- Uig
- NGR
- NB 05025 33236
- Coordinates
- 105025, 933236
Description
The monument comprises the remains of a dun, a fortified settlement dating to the Iron Age (800 BC – 400 AD), on a small rocky island. A causeway links the island to the nearby shore. It is located in Tràigh Ùige/Uig Sands, at about 2m above sea level.
The dun measures approximately 16m from north northeast to south southwest by 12m overall, and about 7m across internally. Traces of several small cellular structures are visible within the walls of the dun. Remains of later structures are visible outwith the dun on the southwestern part of the island. The causeway extends north from the northwestern part of the island, measuring about 16m in length and up to three metres in width.
The scheduled area is irregular. It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.
Statement of National Importance
The monument is of national importance as it makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past as a well-preserved island dun with a causeway. It has potential to contribute to our understanding of the construction and function of island structures during prehistory. The stone fortification retains a good deal of its original structural features and there is significant potential for the survival of buried archaeological deposits within and around the site. The monument can significantly add to our understanding of domestic settlement, society, agriculture and economy during the Iron Age.
The monument is a good example of an island dun and is therefore an important representative of this monument type. It is part of a wider cluster of island duns and brochs in this part of Lewis, including Dun Baravat, Crowlista (NRHE ID 4057), Dun Bharabhat (NRHE ID: 4020) and Loch na Berie, broch and causeway (SM5798, NRHE ID 4100). It can tell us about the character, development and use of defended settlements, and the nature of Iron Age society, economy and social hierarchy in the Western Isles. As a relatively undisturbed high-status settlement site, it can inform our understanding of the Iron Age landscape of Lewis.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
About Scheduled Monuments
Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.
We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.
Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)
Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the
scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).
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