33010: DONALD CAM’S STACK, MANGERSTA, LEWIS – FORT (Undated), PROMONTORY ENCLOSURE (Undated)

Summary:

FORT (Undated)
PROMONTORY ENCLOSURE (Undated)
Fortified stac

Location:

NB 0022 3152

Full description:

NB03SW 1 0022 3152.

(NB 0022 3152) Stac Dhomnuill Chaim, Mangursta, traditionally known as the castle-refuge of Donald Cam Macauly, the Uig hero of the first quarter of the 17th century, is a promontory 100ft high, the top only 20ft in length, almost cut off from the shore by a deep ravine across an isthmus which is defended also by a wall, 4 to 5ft thick, with a return-wall at the N. end and an entrance, 2ft wide, almost on a cliff edge, at the S end: attached to the wall is a sheep-pen.
The ruins of a cottage, 18 1/2ft long by 10ft wide, within walls 4 1/2ft thick, occupy the centre of the promontory.
F W L Thomas 1890.

Now inaccessible due to cliff falls. From what can be seen from the opposite cliff it appears to be as planned by Thomas.
Visited by OS (R L) 1 July 1969

‘The monument…comprises a naturally fortified rock stack utilised as a refuge in the early 17th century by the Uig warrior, Donald Cam Macaulay. The rock is called Stac Domnuill Chaim. The area to be scheduled is irregular and measures a maximum of 200m NE-SW by 100m NW-SE to include the fortified promontory, the dwelling and the boulder feature.
HS Scheduling Document 9 March 1992.

References:

Thomas, F. W. L.. 1890. ‘On the duns of the Outer Hebrides’, Archaeol Scot. Part No 5. 394-5 plan
Burgess, Christopher & Church, Michael. 1997. 2 volumes, surveyed 1996, covering the 100m above the high tide line, and the intertidal zone. Coastal Erosion Assessment, Lewis. A Report for Historic Scotland.
C. Barrowman, I. McHardy, M. MacLeod. 2003. STAC 2003.

Acknowledgement:

Information provided by Western Isles Council Sites & Monuments Record, January 2006.